Egoistical
by TheKiro
Summary: If she had to find a word to describe her table neighbor it would be egotistical. Or maybe arrogant. Or maybe scary. But in the end, she came to know him a lot better against her own will. It just depended whether she could call that positive or not. [Aomine/OC] [Birthday Present]
1. Day One

Well, hello new territory. It is a first for me to write something for this anime and it is a present for a friend of mine who wished for it. Lucky me, I don't need to buy an expensive birthday present, haha. Anyway, the characters are still a bit unknown for me; I hope I can get them right. And the whole high school thing/drama stuff had never been my strong point. Anyway.

The OC belongs to Karen, she created her. I'm just using it to create this story for her.

Hope you like it, you lovely, impatient dwarf. I thought I might as well share it with everyone - maybe someone else likes it as well. The chapters are going to be pretty short. Maybe, probably, I don't know yet.

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><p><em><strong>DAY ONE<strong>_

She had always dreaded the last lesson on a school day. Time never seemed to pass, her eyes were glued to the clock at the wall in hope it would change anything. But, of course, it did nothing. The girl sighed deeply, her hands supporting her chin as she felt her eyes dropping slowly but surely. The teacher never noticed her in the back row anyway. Whether she read a book she brought to school or doodled openly across her notebook instead of taking notes. He only stood in front of the board, preaching on and on about History which had never been her strong subject.

She just wasn't as interested as she was supposed to be. Although every student had a thing like that for sure, for her it was History and for her friend Nanami it was English. It was only her poor luck that the certain black haired girl sat somewhere in the front. Far away from her and her boredom.

Nearly pouting she played with the pen in her hands, rolling it around over and over again while her gaze wandered through the class. A few weeks had already passed since she had entered this high school - or better said academy - the excitement of having new classmates and people had slowly cooled off and the daily activities and habits had settled down.

In the end, her dark eyes had reached her neighbor. A guy who was way too tall for the average citizen even though he was still growing, his long legs reached the chair of the boy in front of him. Probably being a hindrance but the poor guy had up until now never uttered a single complain - something she could understand. Her neighbor looked scary.

Right now, in this very moment though, he didn't. He actually had the right spirit in mind. He had cradled his head in his arms, sleeping away the worthless minutes which still plagued them all. If she remembered correctly then he was part of their basketball team. That would explain his height. She had moved to Japan a long time ago, somewhere around the age of six. She had no problems with the language anymore and against the popular belief she settled in just fine in the Japanese culture.

Her mother was from this country here anyway, so her looks didn't really differ from anyone. But her father was just as tall as him - if not taller. She was used to such sights, in Germany the guys were giants, she guessed. But here in Japan he was an unusual occurrence.

What was his name again anyway?

"Aomine."

The teacher's voice called out.

"Could please read the next part?"

Silence.

"Aomine Daiki."

Oh yeah, that was his name. But the blue haired student was still sleeping, merely shifting slightly. Her eyes flickered from the older man who stood in front of the class to her neighbor who was still sleeping as if nothing had happened. That surely wouldn't end well. Even the poor boy who sat in front of the tall teenager blinked cautiously around to the quiet beast. For a second she wondered what would happen if no one would wake him up and he was forced to face the wrath of the teacher whose name she never remembered right.

As if on cue the man frowned and peeked over his book towards their direction.

"Aomine Daiki." He repeated once more.

The girl was tempted to just let him sleep. He never appeared to be nice, dragging his feet towards his desk day after day. Sometimes she heard him grumble how boring everything was, and even though she agreed with him about that, he had a nasty glare in his eyes. Once he had asked her, _'what she was looking at',_ as she watched a few birds fly by. It wasn't her fault that he had a seat in front of the window and with that hindered her from finding something interesting outside.

However, if that Aomine messed everything up then the teacher would keep an eye on their little corner and she wouldn't be able to relax in the last lesson as she always could up until now. That would definitely be a problem. Determined, she turned towards the tall teenager, withdrawing her left foot - which the poor boy in front of the soon to be victim watched in pure fear and terror.

It took a single kick to his chair for him to wake up. His seat barely budged thanks to his weight but the force was enough to startle him and quickly he lifted his head. The deep blue eyes blinked rapidly to get rid of the sleep which still clung to his senses, although after he had accomplished that it took him only a single second to register what had happened. His sharp glare was directed at her immediately.

"Aomine Daiki." The teacher repeated once more sternly and with that saved her from the boiling anger of the titan.

"_What?_"

"Continue to read."

"The hell I know what to read."

The elderly man lifted a single eyebrow of his, his lips dropping into a frown. It was obvious that her neighbor was not on his list of favorites. To her surprise though, the man in the front kept his cool though, clearing his throat before he leaned back against his desk.

"Then_ I_ consider giving you extra work if you're not able to read the second passage of page 32."

The girl could hear Aomine growl. A deep sound which rumbled in his throat - about to climb on his tongue before he lifted the book in front of him instead - obviously against his own will. A few seconds passed as he flipped through the pages until finally he settled it down and opened his mouth to read the text out loud.

She couldn't help but hide her face behind her hands, turning away from her blue haired classmate. She was definitely grinning, lucky enough to have escaped his nasty attitude while her face was burning in something like embarrassment, slight fear and thrill. She had dared to kick his chair and survived that. He had glared at her with those sharp eyes of his and she survived that as well. Nanami would _never_ believe her that.

She wasn't sure if he would ever really dare to hurt her - but she was scared of him to some extent nevertheless. That's why she already gathered her things slowly but surely. Ready to leave the room to escape his upcoming wrath, she wasn't stupid enough to wait for him to strangle her. That guy had muscles beneath that uniform, muscles which had enough strength to kill her at least twice.

And as she had gathered the last notebook with her hands, the long awaited bell rang. Relieved and eagerly she grabbed her bag and stood up. In between the other students which hurried to get to their clubs or to return home she fought her way towards the second row of the class. The teacher dismissed them only half-hearted by the sight of so many teenagers who already rushed out of the room. He turned back to his own documents, he'd have to take to the teacher's room.

"You're free after school, Nanami?"

Her friend pushed her pencil case into her bag and casted her a quiet look.

"You're blushing again, Mia."

The girl groaned and pressed both hands against her cheeks. "I hate that..." She grumbled, pursing her lips in distaste. "...it always looks so weird."

Her friend merely smiled, already used to that complain as she brushed her long black hair over her left shoulder to make sure it wouldn't get tangled up with her school bag.

"I'm free. What do you want to do?"

Mia finally glimpsed towards the back. Just in time to see the certain pair of blue eyes, narrowed into slits. With his height he was able to look over a handful of their classmates' heads, throwing her a glare to make sure she didn't forget that he was probably still not thrilled about being awoken like that.

"Run for my life." She replied hastily, turning back towards her. "You're in?"

Nanami's eyes widened slightly, her mouth opening without a word coming out. But after a short hesitation she shouldered her bag, standing up.

"Count me in."

And just like that they rushed out of the classroom.

* * *

><p>"You did what?"<p>

Nanami stared at her with a disapproving look, clutching to the milkshake in her hands. The girl on the other side of the table fidgeted beneath her stare, the blood rushing back into her face to her dismay. Maybe they shouldn't have stopped at the diner on their way back after all...

"Well, technically I saved him from extra homework...?"

The black haired teen pushed her hair out of her face, sighing heavily before she started to suck on the straw of her drink.

"You do know about his reputation, right?"

"Stuff like that _really_ exists?" Surprised Mia leaned onto her elbows, chewing on a fry.

"Sure does, he's pretty well-known in the basketball area. Through what's more important is that he is known to have a pretty short temper. You shouldn't annoy him."

"He probably forgets it anyway." She countered, supporting her chin with her left hand. "He threatened my little sanctuary."

"I'm sure your marks are threatened on daily basis."

"Hey." Mia frowned. "I'm not that bad, I just can't listen to this teacher...he's always so...you know..." As if it would help explain her point, she drew a circle with a fry into the air. But for her friend it was obviously enough because she nodded in understanding, a thing they both agreed on in an instant. With a sigh of defeat Mia pushed a few hair strands out of her face, her free hand checking the hair clip on the back of her head.

"He's probably forgotten it by tomorrow."


	2. Day Two

This one is actually longer, haha. Didn't expect that - but I wanted to include Karen's idea and stuff. I'm glad you liked the first chapter, I still have no clue how to write that guy.

I was surprised and delighted to see so many favs and follows, the first chapter was so short and the characters hadn't interacted that much yet. But that will change now.

Especially a big thanks to **_AmandaVonDoom_**, **_CopraMeow_ **and **_TooLazyToLogIn_ **for reviewing! I love to read your opinions and ideas.

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><p><em><strong>DAY TWO<strong>_

"Hey, orange-head."

Mia jumped as she put her schoolbag onto her table, her face turning to the tall basketball player who eyed her with a familiar frown on his face. His whole upper body was turned towards her, his chin propped up by his hand as he stared her down. And as the sight slowly sunk in; her dark eyes widened.

He hadn't forgotten.

The blood rushed into her face immediately because she was too stunned to say anything else. This was it. This was her end. She was going to die. Her life had been short and eventless for sure. But damn, she really thought she would get old while playing video games in a house filled to the brim with cats. She was too young. And the room was filled with witnesses. He surely couldn't murder her in front of everyone, right?

But instead of lunging for her like she expected, she was able to see how his lips slowly but surely were pulled into a grin.

"What, ya got a crush on me or something?"

"_What?_" She deadpanned.

That was not the question she expected. What she thought was that she would hear a death threat. How he asked her if she got any last wishes left before he'd pull a gun or knife out of his jacket. She should be already lying on the floor. In a puddle of her blood, dying an embarrassing useless death. Although that was already exaggerated - all she did was kick his chair and nothing else. It was all Nanami's fault for putting those thoughts into her head anyway.

Aomine caught her attention while pointing at his face. "You're red as hell, orange-head."

Mia felt herself scowling. He was making fun of her, going ahead and assuming things. And here she had feared for her life. Thinking it was the very end. Suddenly, she felt silly and stupid; all the more did she regret having kicked his chair in the first place. If she hadn't done it then he would have ignored her like any other day. Her life would've stayed as peaceful as it was.

"Like hell..." She mumbled to herself, turning away from the blue haired boy. She started digging through her bag for her notebook and pencil case, determined to ignore him until he'd get bored. Her inner battle was hard to win though, the blood still clinging to her cheeks and ears. It only became worse with her mood as she realized how arrogant this guy truly must be.

"What's ya name anyway?"

Her eyes flickered only once towards him. His expression not changing in the slightest. Why did he continue to talk to her? She could feel the goosebumps spread on her arms as his narrow gaze intensified when she didn't reply right away. If this was the punishment for what she did yesterday then she would never dare to pull such a stunt ever again.

"I asked you something."

Calmly Mia sat down, putting her bag down at her feet. She was certain that her face had slowly lost its rosy color, returning to the pale shade she always had. If she was lucky the teacher would arrive a little earlier and her neighbor would be forced to leave her alone.

"Oi, orange-head." Aomine tried again, this time with the edge of annoyance.

Just a few minutes more, her mind chanted. Just a little longer.

"_Oi_."

Something in between a terrible shriek and cry left her lips as her chair got yanked to the left. Mia could see how a few heads turned but the buzz of laughter and conversations still filled the air, easily smothering her outcry of surprise. The only real witness she had was the shy boy in front of the rude monster. Although she surely couldn't beg him for help when Aomine finally decided to kill her anyway...

What she came to face instead, was the tanned face of her tall classmate. His narrow eyes stared her down, ghosting over her expression as if he was seeing her for the first time. And he surely did that, never noticing her ever before for real. Oh, how she wished that it would still be like that.

"Your name."

Her blood returned with full force to her face while her body tried to lean away as far as she could. The space between them wasn't enough in her opinion. It felt like he was crushing her with nothing but his presence. Her chair became suddenly like a cage, his long legs hindering her from just walking away. It was ridiculous to be honest how easily he was able to freeze someone with nothing but his heavy gaze.

But it felt like a death trap and if she would spill her name it would be her end.

Her unexpected savior, however, came in form of the teacher who finally arrived just in time.

The elderly man, already bald and in his late fifties stepped into the lively room. The students finally scattered and returned to their seats. Mia saw this as her chance; her feet trying to shove her chair back towards her desk. But all what happened was that that her pair of shoes gave a deafening screech in defeat while they slid over the floor. The basketball player was still holding onto her chair with a death grip.

"Oh, I forgot your tests from last week." The older man announced slowly. "Could someone go and fetch them for me?"

If that wasn't a sign from the heaven then she didn't know what it could be. Quickly she pushed herself into the air, even forcing Aomine to lean back to prevent their heads from colliding. Her right hand flung upwards, desperate to be the first to announce she'd do it. It was her only chance to survive, she told herself. Death was already knocking on her door.

"I'll do it!"

"Oh." The teacher breathed, his gaze landing on her form in the far back. "Thanks, Nidori. Please hurry."

"Okay."

Mia quickly pushed the long leg of her classmate aside with her own. She cherished the feeling of freedom as he let her go without making a fuss, although he didn't have much of a choice anyway now where the teacher had arrived - not to mention all the students who would now definitely pay attention to the upcoming murder.

With quick steps she rushed through the rows of tables and students. Her right hand forming a fist in silent victory. Not today! She would live for another day! Or at least until break...she was doomed for sure. How could a single thing like yesterday cause so much?

"I need to move to another country..." The girl concluded breathlessly as she left the class behind her.

* * *

><p>"You're as good as dead."<p>

"Oh, come on!" Mia cried out. "How about some support here?"

Nanami stuffed a little meat ball into her mouth, chewing on it with a thoughtful expression. Her friend awaited her reply eagerly, the sandwich in her hands completely forgotten. For now she had survived the past lessons and the moment the bell rang - when it was time for the break - she had been quick enough to kidnap the raven haired girl to escape from the classroom.

The weather was nice enough anyway, she thought to herself. Although that sounded a lot like an excuse, which it probably was in the end...

"Mh...no, you're pretty much dead."

Mia groaned, her body hunching forward on the bench they sat on. That was not the support she had hoped for, Nanami was clever - since they had started to talk to another after they had been assigned to a project at the start of the semester they stuck together. Not knowing anyone in the class was a bit hard but they found in each other just what they had been searching for. A friend. And while they maybe not really shared many hobbies or interests, it didn't matter.

Although Mia did feel a bit down to be labeled a lost cause.

"How come you only eat bread anyway?" Nanami asked, changing the subject in a heartbeat.

"Oh, we just don't eat bentos at home. Back in Germany we always ate bread for breakfast. That stuck, I think." Her dark eyes fell to the sandwich in her hands and the other spicy bread she had bought at the cafeteria.

"Although that won't help me if I'm dead."

"I'll come and visit your grave." Nanami threw in.

Mia furrowed her brow, glancing at her dear friend. "_Great_...thanks Nanami."

Defeated and fed up with her fate, the girl stared at the sandwich in her hands. The white bread was soft and the salad and cheese neatly put together by no one else than her father. He was always the one who woke up first in their house, giving her mother a bit more time to sleep before she would have to head off to work as well.

Maybe it would do her good to eat something. She needed all the energy she could get.

"_Nidori Mia_."

Before she could have bitten off a piece of her sandwich, she felt how a huge hand landed on top of her head, squeezing her skull. The heat rushed back into her face by the sound of his voice. Deep, loud - she could literally hear the arrogant grin in it. And he had found her. Just like that. It took her a second to realize that he had even spoken her full name.

The weight on her head increased as his face appeared at her side. He was leaning into her line of vision, the natural glare he wore scanning her face which probably looked ridiculous again. She hated her tendency to blush when she got embarrassed or nervous. All the more because the blue haired guy was causing that reaction without even _trying_, his presence was just so heavy.

Awkwardly she tried to avoid his piercing eyes, some part of her hoping it would be enough to get rid of him. But all that did was make Aomine turn her head towards him with his hand. His face close enough to hers so that his breath ghosted over her skin. _She was going to die_. That thought occupied her whole mind; his lop-sided smirk would be the last thing she saw.

And as his fingers tightened their grip on her skull, burying them in her warm orange hair she braced herself for the worst. She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting a wave of pain or fire or something else comparable. But all she heard was the rustling of plastic and how finally his presence from her side seemed to fade.

Everything except his hand on top of her head.

Carefully her eyes fluttered open once more, her upper body twisting around to her tall classmate - who now had the spicy bread in his hand. The very one she had bought herself. She didn't know how but he had already torn the bag open, a part of the bread was missing. A faint spark of courage filled her heart as her mouth opened to retort to the rude boy.

"Aomine-kun!"

But someone was apparently faster than she was. A girl appeared; someone she hadn't seen before, however, she seemed to know the basketball player well enough. She approached them with a frown on her face, both hands thrusted into her hips as she actually dared to glare at the scary looking fellow without a worry. A courage Mia really envied in that moment.

"Why did you leave the classroom-?" Only now she noticed the two students sitting on the bench, one girl watching blankly the situation while the other sat there frozen with a face which was comparable to a cherry.

"Who are they?"

"Oh, that's Nidori." Aomine replied instantly, chewing on the bread. "She gave me her bread because I forgot mine."

The new girl furrowed her brow curiously, her long hair shining in a rather pale shade of pink. "You always forget your lunch..."

"That's why Nidori gives me some, _right_?"

As if to emphasis his words he squeezed her head again, making the girl squeak against her will. It became worse. With every second her awkwardness stood in the way of a snarky comeback. Her tongue was tied as her cheeks glowed brightly. This was worse than death. It was a lot worse than murder. He was making fun of her, forcing her to play by his rules with any means necessary. He was a bully, that much was obvious.

And as Mia didn't reply he actually had the nerve to force her head to nod, the movement stiff and painful but she couldn't do anything thanks to the strength he pressed onto her whole body.

Who in the world spilled her name to the monster?

"Hm..." The girl mused thoughtfully. "Really..." The disbelief was there, a ray of hope for Mia - which got soon crushed by the bright welcoming smile of her though. "It's good to see you're getting along with someone else than Sakurai-kun. However -" Her smile vanished as she turned once more to Aomine. "- we need to discuss the next practice game. _Now_, so come on!"

Forcefully she tugged at the blue haired boy, taking him with her as he let her drag him away. He was still busy devouring the bread he stole from Mia, something which slipped the teen's mind as she stared flabbergasted after the tanned basketball player and the stranger.

It was hard to comprehend what exactly had happened in these few minutes. Hell, the orange-head was still debating if she was merely dreaming. But the silence was suddenly broken by a voice. A steady and calm tune in contrast to the heavy heartbeat in her chest.

"So, where do you move to?" Nanami asked quietly, her pale eyes glinting towards the figures in the distance.

"...I heard that Great Britain is really nice."

"Mh..." Her friend hummed. "...how does Morgen Nicole sounds?"

"...good." Mia breathed, her gaze falling to the sandwich which she had nearly crushed in between her fingers. "I've got to change my name anyway..."

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><p>"I just don't understand." She breathed while her fingers tugged at her bright hair. Her hair clip had nearly come loose, the orange wisps escaping their neat hold as they spilled over her shoulders. She needed a haircut, her mind hushed as she gathered them absent-minded again. Forcing them all once more into place with her clip while her friend on the other hand leaned onto her table.<p>

They had returned shortly afterwards to their classroom, the break wasn't over yet so there was enough time to plan her escape and funeral. Nanami's calm expression stared her down, her finger scratching her chin in thought as she gathered all the information they had.

"How does he know your name anyway? It's not like we know everyone in class by theirs yet...and the teacher only called you by your surname."

"I don't know." Mia groaned, her head falling onto her folded arms. "He always disappears, or isn't even here when class starts. Does that guy even _have_ friends?"

Her complain got washed away by the voices of their classmates, no one minded them. Busy themselves with their lunch and conversations. The only one who reacted was the shy boy not far away from her seat, his brown eyes widened as she looked at him. His whole body jerked away from them as he pushed himself closer towards the window next to his seat - if that was even possible that is.

At first she didn't pay him any heed, she barely knew him from exchanging greetings as they had to clean up the classroom together on cleaning duty. Maybe he was only startled because she had seen him eavesdropping, or maybe..._hold on_. Mia pushed her head into the air, staring intently at her classmate whose shoulders trembled. She had actually seen him before - interacting with the loud table neighbor. Sometimes when the tall teenager decided not to disappear in the break time and instead terrorized the brown haired boy.

With a start the girl stood up, pushing the chair away with her legs. The low screech of the chair against the floor made the boy jump once more, it was obvious that he knew she was able to make the connection.

"Sakura-san."

Nanami blinked at first a bit surprised at her friend before she turned towards the certain classmate who now received all their attention.

"Sakura-san."

Mia repeated his name; her tone a lot more demanding than before. Although that did the trick, with a lot trouble and fearful hazelnut eyes he turned around towards him. She could see the deep frown on his face, his bottom lip trembling as if he expected to be executed on the very spot.

"I-it's...S...Sakura_i_...Ryō...if, if you don't mind, I mean! It's alright if you want to call me Sakura - I mean, I'm sorry! I-I'm-"

"Take a breather there." Nanami commented, furrowing her brow.

"I'm sorry." He replied immediately, bowing his head forward once more. But as he saw the face of Mia who had crouched down next to his table he nearly jumped out of his seat out of surprise. His stiff limbs were failing him though. The teen struggled to not fall over the chair somehow and the orange-head stared him merely down, determined to find any clue in his tearful expression which would help her solve this riddle. Although that looked a lot harder than she thought it would be...

"...Nidori-san?" He whispered faintly.

"I _knew_ it!" The orange haired girl cried out, pointing at the poor teen who was now definitely scared out of his mind. "It was _you_ who told that guy my name, right? _Right?_"

Sakurai froze, real salty tears filling his eyes. Mia could feel her anger boil; if maybe he hadn't encouraged the scary table neighbor of them then he wouldn't have bothered seeking her out in the break. Just as she was about to give the shy boy in front of her a piece of her mind he literally started to cry.

"I'm sorry!" It bursted out of him again. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry for telling him but Aomine-kun can be so scary! I couldn't say no. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Well, uh..." Her anger bursted like a bubble leaving nothing but sudden guilt behind. "...come on...I didn't mean to...uh...please...stop crying...?"

"I'm sorry for crying!"

"_N-no_...that's not what I...uh..." At loss for words Mia turned to her friend who stared at the whimpering classmate with a look of pure confusion. As she noticed the glance of the girl however, she shrugged with her shoulders, sighing.

"Don't look at me. You made him cry."

"_Eeh?_" Shocked Mia turned back towards Sakurai, raising her hands into the air. "C-come on, I'm sorry as well...just...let's make up, okay?"

"R-really?"

"Yeah, sure...just..._please_, stop crying."

Sakurai found the strength to nod, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve to get rid of the tears. It was a great relief to see him calm again, or at least as calm as he could get with his tense shoulders. He shifted carefully on his chair, still not comfortable with all the attention he received as Mia folded her arms on top of his table.

"So." Nanami started. "Aomine forced you to spill the beans."

"Uh...well...in, in practice he actually showed up. But he was all about the girl who kicked his chair- and, and he knew I saw it, too. H-he promised to actually play i-if..."

"Practice?" Mia perked up, baffled. "Wait, you're in the basketball team as well?"

Sakurai hung his head in disappointment. "Yes...I guess I'm really invincible, aren't I...?"

Quickly the orange-head shook her head, waving with her hands to dismiss her previous statement. "I, I didn't mean to sound...I was just surprised- ...forget it." She sighed. "Did he ever maybe mention then that he...you know...wanted to kill the said girl...?"

"_Kill?_" Sakurai's eyes widened in panic before he shook his head hectically. "N-no! He didn't. Aomine-kun would never do something like that..." His reply sounded eager although after a short moment of hesitation he chose to add, "..._I think_.", which didn't really help the whole situation Mia found herself in.

"Well that sounds assuring." The black haired girl mused next to them, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "...did he mention at least something useful?"

"N-no...I'm sorry." Sakurai apologized once more. "He merely repeated Nidori-san's name and left shortly afterwards. I'm sorry for telling him. I'm sorry."

The orange-head groaned loudly, letting her head fall onto her folded arms. That was her last clue, to find who told that monster her name. But now where she knew _that_ she didn't know what to do _now_, it wasn't exactly Sakurai's fault either. And to tell a teacher that she was scared of her classmate wouldn't really help. As long as her corpse wasn't lying around, they wouldn't care.

The bell suddenly rang, indicating that the break was over. The students slowly returned to their seats, Nanami was one of them who left to go back to her own desk after she gave Mia a light pat on the head out of pity. The girl couldn't muster the strength to move right away, rolling a bit longer in her self-pity which Sakurai watched with a concerned look.

"Thanks anyway, Sakurai-san..." Mia finally murmured before she pulled away from the table she was leaning on, slouching back to her own desk which was only two feet away.

"N...no problem...Nidori-san."

With a huff she fell onto her chair, her upper body seeking comfort on the table's surface as the class slowly filled up once more. Every other classmate returned from their activity to resume their schedule, except one, the girl noticed after a few moments in slight confusion and delight.

Aomine didn't return.

Maybe, just maybe if she was really lucky, he would finally ignore her once more.


	3. Day Three

Another day, another chapter. If I can continue like that, then I'll actually really finish this before your birthday Karen! Muhaha. Again, I'm really glad for all the follows and favorites, I received. I'm glad you guys can enjoy this story; the development in the romance department is really slow. I'm not a fan of the 'instant-fall-in-love' types of stories. So I hope you can bear with me and fluff till then.

**_- Review section removed for a better view after the story ended -_**

Thanks for reading!

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><p><em><strong>DAY THREE<strong>_

Mia didn't know why the heaven seemed to hate her so much.

The next morning started out so well. She was able to wake up on time, listening to her father as he told her of his previous day at work while they ate breakfast. She didn't miss the train she had to use - for only four stations but it was always a pain to wait for the next one because that one was always stuffed.

And on her way to school, she met Nanami which was rare. Her dear friend always rode the bike and they missed each other nearly every time. So why in the world, _no_, **who** in the world decided to let her enter their classroom while the rude table neighbor of hers already sat on his spot next to the window? He never had been punctual if she recalled correctly. And as she slowly approached her seat his eyes wandered from the sky outside to her, widening in the process. The lips which were slightly hidden behind the hand he used to support his chin with formed a lopsided grin. Or smirk. Or whatever you wanted to call it.

Mia couldn't _stand_ it.

"Morning, _Nidori_."

And how smug he sounded just because he knew her name! It was ridiculous! With a frown she sat down, her thoughts circling around the '_why_' it had to be her of all people. Wasn't it silly of that tall teenager to annoy her because of a single incident? And didn't he owe her money for the bread he dared to take as well yesterday?

"Oi, I said morning."

This whole situation was ridiculous.

_"...you owe me money."_

She merely mumbled those words, her weak attempt at a comeback. Mia felt like she could be a lot wittier than this but the moment that guy towered over her - even when they were sitting - knocked all the determination out of her body. She had seen his expression change a lot in the past and it always ended in either an _'I'll kill you and your whole family'_ frown or a _'Man, I'm going to laugh while I kill your whole family'_ grin.

Not to forget his stature. She wasn't really small but even she felt like a dwarf next to him.

"What was that?" His deep voice startled her and she held onto her schoolbag out of reflex.

It was clearly not the brightest idea to hide behind a bag filled with books but she really had nothing else to protect herself with from his upcoming wrath. Her dark eyes narrowed at him as she dared to peek over her made-shift shield. His tanned face greeted her good morning like a glinting knife in the hand of a murderer.

"...you owe me money." Mia repeated. This time a little bit louder than before.

Aomine blinked at her at first a bit puzzled before finally realization hit him and he laughed. It was only for a few seconds and from him it sounded mocking and mean instead of genuine and friendly. Though her opinion was obviously already formed in a negative way, she guessed. But his blue eyes fixated her, the grin broader than before.

"_Ah_, the bread, right? It was good."

That was not what she wanted to know, her mind gushed. She didn't care - jeez, _of course_ it was good! That's why she bought it in the first place! And she had wanted to eat it as well. But then he came along, nearly crushing her skull with nothing but his hand while having the nerve to steal her meal. She wanted compensation. It was her money and her right to expect that.

It was merely the question whether she was able to voice that statement or not.

"Fetch me more of it in the break would ya?"

What?

"Excuse me?"

For the first time she could use her voice loud and clear. The tune fell as her mind registered the meaning of his words. Did he actually dare to order her around? After what he did yesterday? Her neck still felt stiff from the weight he had forced upon her with nothing but his hand and they had never really talked before the incident anyway. He must've been joking.

"I got enough of bentos for awhile. I wanna eat bread, but it's a pain to go and buy it."

He slurred his explanation, his body leaning back against his chair as he relaxed in his seat. If Mia wasn't wrong he actually made it sound like it was settled. As if it was the most obvious thing in the world that she'd go and buy his lunch for him even though they were strangers.

"Are you kidding me?"

Aomine's expression fell at her sentence. It became emotionless as he stared her down, his sharp eyes glaring through her very skin and bone, she believed. From one second to another the blood rushed back into her face. She could feel her cheeks and ears heat up as her skin turned into a shade of a nasty red. He looked like he was about to kill her, her inner voice shrieked. The mocking and light mood slipping into a grim and dry one so fast...

But instead of finally taking out a gun out of his pocket he chose to grin at her again.

"Ya really like me, eh?"

Oh, he and his damn assumptions!

Mia could feel her heart hammer against her chest. Ready to burst out of her ribcage and strangle the teen next to her - something the girl would've actually _liked_ to see. Because here she was, _again_, thinking this rude guy was about to kill her off. Instead he only mocked her and her damn flushed face.

"_Maybe if you were six feet under..._" She scoffed quietly, turning her face away from him completely.

"What?"

"You owe me money." Mia repeated instead, finally pushing her bag down to her feet.

"_Tch_, you're no fun." The blue haired boy grumbled. His gaze finally left her form to stare out of the window once more, something the girl welcomed with all her heart.

It was good when he was bored with her. It meant he would lose interest in teasing her. Which would lead him to ignore her once more just like it used to be...that thought alone caused Mia to sigh deeply in relief. The color slowly faded from her face as she calmed down. She only needed to endure it a little longer and then she and Nanami could laugh about this whole thing.

With the shrill ringing of the bell their short conversation came to a sudden halt. The teacher appeared in their classroom, his voice monotone and quiet in the early morning. The girl quickly rummaged through her schoolbag to get the needed items for the lesson. To her own surprise the monster of table neighbor she had didn't engage any further conversation anymore.

That meant that Mathematics had her whole attention. Whether she liked that or not...

* * *

><p>She'd call it an understatement if his familiar - which it shouldn't be - tanned hand in her view didn't make her flinch. In break she had chosen to stay inside, after her last exchanged words with Aomine it actually felt like the whole unfortunate event was over. And the memory which lingered was soon to be forgotten.<p>

Mia sat with Nanami at the table of the black haired girl. The two of them, like always, talked about shows they had seen yesterday and the weird, stiff conversation she had with the ridiculous tall teen. None of them knew what to make of it, but as the break passed without an incident they just chose to just enjoy their meal.

That was until the said hand appeared in front of her eyes.

Mia was ready to jump out of her chair, her legs tensed, ready, if they were needed to make a risky jump towards her left. She would maybe collide with a few desks and chairs but it was worth it if it meant she had enough time and distraction to run for her life. What she didn't expect, however, was a brown bread, wrapped in a thin plastic bag, to fall onto the desk she sat at.

Her eyes widened as she stared at it. At first as if it was a bomb, then her orbs softened. It _could_ be an illusion. But then, she realized that it really was there. Bread from the cafeteria and to be precise a '_spicy bread'_. Carefully Mia raised her gaze towards the very human being which towered over her, craning her neck until she was able to make eye contact with none other than Aomine.

His face was like a mirror, reflecting her expressionless lips which were drawn into a thin line. A single eyebrow lifted into the air.

"...thank you." She mumbled.

Her ears were burning again, she could feel it. But she couldn't get rid of the heat in her face. Her heart had started hammering the very second she had seen his hand. The weird mix of fear and adrenaline in her veins was ridiculous. But her body reacted instinctively to the heavy vibe he gave off without even trying.

Mia was sure he would once more make a stupid comment about her blush. He seemed to have a knack for it but this time, to her surprise, he didn't. He shrugged with his broad shoulders before one gigantic hand reached for her head. Only fleetingly he ruffled her hair. His body already moved past them as he was aiming for his own seat where a nervous Sakurai sat at, his bento already open as if he had awaited his classmate. His hand slipped from her head which was now a little messy, the strands escaping the hair clip thanks to the disturbance.

Nanami stared at her quietly. Both of their gazes falling towards the bread in front of her.

"What just happened...?" The orange-head whispered terrified. Her shoulders stiff.

"...I don't know." Her friend murmured calmly. "I have no idea."

"...was that a truce? Are we...are we _even_?"

"Maybe?"

Mia hesitated before she grabbed the bread, tearing the plastic bag open, only to inspect the tasty treat with distrust. It did look normal. Like bread was supposed to look like, she guessed. And as she finally mustered enough courage to bite into it she cherished the taste of different spices like curry and paprika. She always had a thing for deviled food. And after she overcame the fear of poison, it tasted even better. Like a little victory.

Aomine may be scary-looking. But at least by now she was certain that he wouldn't attempt to kill her.


	4. Day Four

Another day, another chapter. More interaction and a little step established into the right direction. Yay. Again I hope Aomine was kept close to the rea deal.

_- removed Review section after story ended for better view -_

I always write a reply to the reviews, and put it above the chapter - I hope you won't mind? If it does, I could shove the author notes down and write them after the chapter has ended.

I hope you'll enjoy the chapter.

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><p><em><strong>DAY FOUR<strong>_

Did someone finally hear her prayer?

Mia couldn't believe it at first as she stepped into the classroom. The chatter of her fellow classmates filled the room as she moved past the tables and people to get to her own seat. Nanami's head hung above a notebook in which she scribbled furiously, definitely homework she had forgotten so their greeting was kept short. A thumbs-up was enough to convey the message of '_good luck_'.

The most surprising thing however, was the silence she received as she arrived at her desk. The corner of the room had never been loud before. But after the two previous days she had expected another snarky comment. Or only her name because it seemed to satisfy the basketball player immensely that he knew it.

But as the girl placed her schoolbag on her table, her gaze landing on her neighbor, she could only see the back of his head. He supported his chin with his hand, staring out of the window. For a second she joined his view. Curious. Though next to the clear blue sky and a few clouds here and there she could see nothing interesting, it was an ordinary morning.

A bit puzzled Mia chose to sit down, her hands already digging through her bag for the needed notebooks and homework. Maybe he _did_ get bored already, her mind whispered. It was possible that the spicy bread she had received from him yesterday, was his way of burying whatever war they had. It was truce.

Relieved the girl inhaled the air around her. Her school life would definitely become more peaceful again. The old pattern would return and any fear she had before about dying or getting murdered disappeared in an instant. Aomine looked scary, he was intimidating. Yes. But he was no murderer. Or maybe he was. But she wasn't on his list anymore. You could never know what was hidden in the basement of another person.

That was more then she could ask her.

"Alright, the lesson is starting." A voice called out, belonging to a woman who had appeared in the front. "We'll continue from last time. Please open your books."

Quickly the students rushed back to their seats, a chorus of obedient teenagers fetching their books and notes arouse. It was way too early for their teacher to be this determined to work, Mia believed. Only half-hearted she opened the textbook on her table, her gaze dropping as she saw the many words which graced the page. She couldn't wait for the weekend...

"Resume your work from yesterday." The teacher explained. "I'll come and check after a while."

The groan died in her throat as she saw the notes she had already written the day before. At least she had come far. It wasn't as bad as she had expected it. And luckily English wasn't one of her nightmares; Nanami was probably already dying in the front.

As if this thought had knocked her awake Mia lifted her head. Her dark eyes ghosted over the heads of her classmates in hope she could see the expression of her friend. But in the sea of heads and similar uniforms it was hard to find the certain black haired girl. Her figure had disappeared somewhere in between the other teenagers.

Slightly disappointed her eyes roamed over to Sakurai who had started working right away. His silhouette was starting to look familiar, although this time he didn't appear to be as stiff as the last time they had spoken to another. Mia wondered if the brown haired boy had always been this nervous. On cleaning duty, they had barely exchanged a handful of words...

Last but not least her gaze carried her back towards her table neighbor. To her surprise he had actually gathered his utensils as well; his eyes were glued to the pages as he read them. Mia had never taken him as a hard-working student so to see him relaxed in his chair; the textbook lifted in front of him to read was something new.

Although she never had paid attention to him before either.

Mia was about to turn away. There were tasks awaiting her attention after all, but her movement came to a sudden halt as Aomine's grip on his book slipped which revealed something else. Her eyes widened as the cover of a magazine was to be seen. Only a few letters and a part of a head - but the bright colors suggested that it had definitely nothing to do with their class.

A laugh bubbled out of her and quickly she pressed both of her hands against her lips to keep it in. She had never taken _him_ as someone to secretly read something in classes! In fear her eyes shifted towards the teacher who luckily had been busy enough with a classmate.

Who, however, noticed her, was the culprit himself.

The second their eyes locked, his lips formed the lopsided grin she had come to know well these past days. He placed his poorly hidden magazine onto his table and turned his attention towards her. A bad idea because somehow this action only made it harder for Mia not to laugh, she had to raise the pressure of her hands to not make a sound here and there.

"_What?_" He whispered harshly, his steel blue eyes flickering towards their instructor for a second to make sure they weren't noticed.

Mia only shook her head, she couldn't trust her voice at this moment. She'd probably croak an answer or start to laugh while explaining why she wanted to laugh. It wasn't even that funny anyway. The grin on his face shrunk, indicating that he probably didn't want to bother anymore to hear the explanation before he suddenly pushed his book aside. He pulled his notebook towards the edge of the table instead, his hand busy writing something with his pen into the corner of the nearly blank page.

Curiously she watched his tanned hand move with every letter he wrote and it didn't take long before he tapped against the paper with the butt of his pen to catch her attention. Carefully the girl leaned towards him while Aomine pushed the notebook a little bit closer into her direction. And when she narrowed her eyes, she could read his rather messy handwriting just fine.

_'Why did you laugh?'_

Oh.

Finally her hands slipped from her lips, revealing the smile she couldn't get rid of. Mia leaned back to her own notebook, flipping through it to the back where all the pages were still blank. In just a few seconds she had scribbled down her answer in the left corner. And without letting go of her pencil, she softly shoved her notebook into his direction to let him read it.

Instead of being as secretive as she had been, he openly leaned with his upper body to her side, his eyes scanning the neat words she had written.

_'Because you hid a magazine in a book to read it.'_

He snorted. He actually snorted at her and leaned back into his seat. His right hand already grabbed his pen to write down his reply. It felt certainly strange to suddenly exchange notes like this. She had run for her life a few days ago because of him, he had tried to crush her skull, had tried to order her around and now they were actually writing about nonsense to escape the boredom of the lesson.

Ah. He finished writing.

_'It's freaking boring. Got nothin' else to do.'_

Well, she couldn't argue with that. Mia nodded in agreement, turning back to her notebook to scribble something down as well.

_'What is it about?'_

Aomine's eyes scanned the small words before his grin twisted into a little smirk. The orange-head was a bit confused at the sudden change of attitude her neighbor had - she still couldn't stand that damn grin - before he grabbed his magazine and turned the open side towards her. Giving her a good look what the content was about.

Mia could have accepted something about basketball because, _obviously_, he was in the team of the academy. Or maybe even weapons, she still couldn't let go of the idea that he had a secret stash of guns and knives beneath his bed. What was also possible was some typical magazine about idols or maybe even video games.

But what she didn't expect, was a handful of pictures of half-naked women posing for the camera. They weren't the same person. One was brown haired, the other surprisingly blond. But they all had a rather well endowed bosom in common which was highlighted and presented with an attractive face and smile.

Mia doubled over, leaning onto her table for support as a fit of giggles escaped her. It was a terrible challenge to keep it down, the giggles were slowly turning into laughter before she managed to press her hands against her mouth once again. She chocked off the noise abruptly while her eyes searched for the teacher who threw her a warning glare from her desk at the front.

She didn't really expect that.

"_Why are you laughing, again?_" He whispered, stressing out the last word.

But the orange haired girl had to turn away from him to calm down. Her thoughts were racing one another, trying to comprehend what she had just seen. By god, he had acted like it was a natural thing to read such stuff in public, let alone in school! Was he even old enough to buy such things? Did he seriously walk into a convenience store with a _straight_ face and bought one of _these_? These were really strange expectations. Typical for a teenage boy in his age, she guessed, but still!

That giant right next to her was so honest about it, she couldn't help but laugh!

"_Oi._" Aomine whispered again.

Finally she found the strength to twist back towards him, one hand still hiding the grin. Although his had slipped from his face as he chose to glare at her instead. Maybe laughing at him wasn't the best choice? He was still taller than her. Stronger than her. And the vein on his neck started to twitch as his mood obviously took a turn for the worst.

"_Sorry._" Mia spoke under her breath, her voice breaking because she hadn't used it in a while.

Quietly she cleared her throat, getting hold of her pencil once more to write something in the little corner of her notebook which got slowly filled with short sentences.

_'I just really didn't expect that.'_

The basketball player craned his neck to read her reply, the frown on his face slowly easing away as the meaning of the words sunk in. Easily he relaxed back into his seat, busy to scribble down something with his own pen.

_'It's better than the English book for sure.'_

The girl had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. She was smiling instead until her cheeks started to sting. That tall teen was really trying to defend his rather naughty hobby, or better yet promote it. She didn't think she would ever get into a situation like this; it was difficult to think of a good answer because honestly, there couldn't be one. Right?

Instead of that she started to write down something else, underlining it twice.

_'Better start to work anyway or the teacher will have our heads, weirdo!'_

Aomine leaned towards her once more, his narrowed eyes ghosting over her notebook before he scoffed lightly. However, to her relief the frown didn't return just his bored expression which seemed to be his loyal companion. He sat back in his chair, stretching his long legs out until they bumped into Sakurai's chair. The shy boy only jumped once in surprise before he resumed working, he must have already gotten used to it by now.

The blue haired guy didn't start to work right away though. Instead he found entertainment by playing with his pen, trying to let it flip around his finger while his eyes glanced from time to time from the magazine to the window. In hope to find something interesting as a distraction; to actually work on something was too much of a hassle apparently.

Mia, on the other hand, turned the pages back towards the first section where her real notes for the class were written down. She still had a lot to do; Nanami depended on copying her stuff in English anyway in exchange for offering her the Mathematics homework on daily basis.

It was a great relief in itself to not fear death anymore.

Aomine still looked scary but that was mostly the fault of his narrow eyes, the orange haired girl mused as she read through one of the tasks she still had to finish. By all means, she didn't have to be friends with him. His attitude was still not the brightest. And she swore that her neck still felt stiff from his damn strength. But she wouldn't mind having a peaceful co-existence like this.

* * *

><p>As her sign of a peace offering, she actually went out of her way and bought something at the cafeteria.<p>

It was a spicy bread which she left on his table in break before she hastened away to eat somewhere outside with Nanami.

...or _maybe_ it was just bribery.


	5. Day Five

Another day, another chapter. It's more interaction then fluff, I guess. But still needed to establish the comfort zone these two have reached. Anyway. Again big thanks to -

_**- review section removed after story ended for better view -**_

Thanks for the reviews, the follows and the favorites. I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter as well. By the looks of the chapters which always are about an event which happened in a day - obvious by the titles, I'm actually afraid that this becomes longer than I anticipated. I'm a sucker for the slow stuff...maybe I'll update sometimes twice a day to meet the deadline. Karen, stop your birthday. Postpone it. _Now_.

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><p><em><strong>DAY FIVE<strong>_

"_Man_..."

Her sigh was heavy as she stepped into the classroom. Her breath was ragged from running all the way from the station towards the school. This time she really did miss the first train which ended with her being stuffed into a narrow train compartment with many other strangers who were on the way to work, university or school themselves.

The day hadn't even started yet and she felt already ready to go back to bed.

At least the soft bed wouldn't blame her or make her learn stuff. It would just be lying there, comfy and warm. Offering her a nice and good rest which always seemed to be way too short much to her dismay..._ah_, she was already tired again.

Slowly, she forced herself to walk through the rows of tables towards the back of the classroom. On her way she strode past the table of no one else than Nanami. Although to her surprise it was empty and looked untouched. Still out of breath the girl turned towards her classmate who sat next to her friend, her hands playing with the straps of her bag.

"Uh...excuse me. Do you know where Nanami is?"

Her classmate looked up from her book, her face lighting up by the reorganization of the name.

"Mh, Nanami-san is sick. She didn't feel well today."

Oh.

"Oh." Mia echoed her thought, surprised to hear such news. Why didn't the black haired girl tell her? Or sent a message? The thoughts collapsed over one another in her head before she found the strength to move her sore legs. "Thanks anyway."

The girl whose name she still didn't know - it was either Haruno or Haruka - nodded swiftly, quickly returning to her book which must have been pretty interesting judging by the eagerness of her classmate. Nevertheless, Mia continued her way towards her table, pushing her way past all the other teenagers which had already arrived.

As she finally reached her little sanctuary she took a deep breath in relief through her nose, her whole body fell into her seat. Finally she could rest. The sound of having to sit for the next few hours on this very chair didn't bother her in the slightest. It would only be a little lonely in the break without her friend.

Lazily Mia dug through her schoolbag to find her mobile phone. She rarely used it because her father and mother were the only real contacts in it, her middle school friends who she didn't see anymore sent her emails but that was it. Nanami and she called each other sometimes but if they did, it was mainly at home with the telephone there.

"Oh, she did write a message..." The orange-head mumbled, her fingers pressing a few bottoms to open the unread text on her screen.

_'I got a fever and my mum doesn't want me to go. Sorry. How about we hang out tomorrow? Survive the day. Nanami.'_

"Gee, thanks..." Mia whispered with a light smile on her lips. Quickly she typed a reply, or at least as fast as she was able to. The bell had rung a second ago; her classmates were already hurrying back to their seats to not get preached by their biology teacher, who was a rather unpleasant man at that. And as the message was sent away, she stuffed the mobile phone back into her bag to exchange it with the heavy books and pencils she needed.

Only then her gaze flickered towards her left, though to her amazement the table of her neighbor was empty. It wasn't a surprise, she concluded while placing her things onto the table. If she remembered correctly the blue haired basketball player had often skipped lessons in the past as well. His marks must be terrible.

"Alright, class." The deep voice of the teacher hollered, the man stepping into the room with a handful of documents in his hands. "Let's start, shall we?"

At the sight of the work which was already on its way Mia couldn't help but sigh once more. That lucky guy disappeared at the right moment. Leaving her and the others behind for a lesson filled with knowledge and hard work. Disinterested the orange haired girl leaned onto her table, her gaze glued to the blackboard in front of her which was now used by their teacher to explain the task.

She had to admit it was strangely quiet without the blue haired teenager at her side.

Even before the incident where they hadn't talked to each other at all. It made a difference if he was there. Shifting in his seat, slightly snoring while sleeping or grumbling to himself about nothing in particular - the whole air changed when his big ego wasn't present. It was lighter.

Or maybe it was just her imagination.

* * *

><p>Mia stretched her arms above her head as break finally arrived. It was definitely strange to not eat with the other girl together. Even more because up until now, the girl had never really bothered to get to know her other classmates - of course she knew some names - cleaning duty had offered a chance to find a few acquaintances. But the only person she really hung out with was Nanami. Bad idea obviously, to eat lunch by herself wasn't that much fun.<p>

A bit disappointed she pulled her sandwich out of her schoolbag. She was determined to at least enjoy her meal even with the absence of the black haired girl who always provided enough subjects to talk about while eating. However, before Mia could've started eating a wave of déjà vu overcame her senses.

Thanks to the sight of a bread which fell onto her table.

Startled the girl snapped her gaze towards the shadow which had appeared at her side. Against the sunlight it was hard to make out at first whose face it was. But the height and tanned skin gave him quickly away. Of course, it was no one else but the basketball player who had skipped the previous classes.

"Yo."

With that single word, he pulled his chair towards her table, taking a seat on it while Mia could do nothing but stare at him flabbergasted. _What_ was he doing here? And even if that question was answered. Why was he sitting at _her_ table? Her dark eyes blinked at the bread he had brought with him. It was the same spicy bread she had left on his table yesterday. Didn't he understand that it was only a peace offering? She didn't want something in return! It would mean they'd still have to talk to another.

"Oi, Ryō give me something of your lunch." Aomine leaned onto the back of his chair to stare at their shy classmate.

The poor guy flinched at his loud voice but other than that he didn't complain at all. Obediently he grabbed his bento box and dragged his chair with him as he forced his way quietly towards her desk as well. Mia only watched Sakurai as he claimed the place in front of her, setting the box down with care. The tall teenager next to them though, was already reaching for an eggroll with his fingers.

Well.

_That_ was...unexpected.

"I-I'm sorry Nidori-san. I hope you don't mind me sitting here..." Sakurai said nervously, his forehead already set in wrinkles.

The orange-head shook her head slowly, still clutching to her sandwich. "No, it's fine...I guess."

"So how was class? Biology is such a drag." The tallest of them grumbled while chewing on his stolen meal.

Mia could only ask herself the same damn question again. _What_ was he doing here? Still confused she merely watched how Sakurai replied. Telling the basketball player how the lessons went and what exactly he had missed. The part concerning homework didn't interest him in the slightest and to the girl his question looked more like an excuse to steal more of the food of the brown haired boy. Who didn't do anything to stop it, by the way.

They surely must be good friends...or Aomine bullied him into doing that.

The latter _definitely_ seemed to make much more sense.

Finally, Mia was able to bite into her own sandwich. Watching the boys interact with another like a bystander would do because she honestly didn't know what exactly was going on. Aomine's long legs were in her way, she had to withdraw her own ones to not bump into his. Her table was suddenly way too small. The bento box, her notebooks and - again - Aomine's arm took in most of the space which made her wonder - _again_ - what they were doing here in the first place.

"Hah~? A damn test? He can't be serious." His loud voice awoke her from her train of thoughts and while chewing on her meal she blinked at the tall guy at her side.

"But it...it is. He said in two weeks we'll write one." Sakurai lifted his chopsticks into the air. It was a rather weak attempt to shield himself from the nasty frown which had found its way onto the face of the blue haired guy.

"Tch, can you believe that? The last one we had was last Tuesday." This time his blue eyes landed on her.

Mia could feel her face heat up again. She wasn't ready for his sudden attention and the change of air he always brought with him. Her mind still wasn't able to catch up with all the events which had occurred and now he demanded from her an answer to a question she had barely heard in between the turmoil in her head.

"Oi, Nidori." Aomine said, leaning towards her as if it would help. "You're good in biology, right? Let me copy your stuff in the test then."

Well, that definitely fought its way through the rollercoaster of thoughts.

"_No way._" Mia spoke up. "You're skipping class. I'm not going to help you just because you're lazy."

For a second he only stared at her. His eyes blinking once then twice before he suddenly started grinning at her in that stupid way she didn't like. It was as if he was wordlessly saying that he _knew_ she would let him do it anyway. The arrogance seeped out of every pore that guy had. The confidence would've blinded her if her own thick head wouldn't be just as stubborn as his one.

"No." She repeated. Face red. "Not going to happen."

He kept staring at her a bit longer before he clicked his tongue and applied the same idea to the shy boy next to them. "Tch. Ryō - let me copy yours then."

"W-what?"

Sakurai started to sweat. Uncomfortable with the idea of cheating but Aomine kept on pestering him. His hands always fetching something else from the box filled with food. He really seemed to never bring something himself. And while Mia watched them argue, or better said sweating and demanding she carefully picked up the spicy bread she had received.

Maybe it wasn't so bad.

It was weird.

Definitely, definitely, _really_ weird.

But not as bad as she thought it would be.

With a smile the girl tore the plastic bag open and bit into the bread.


	6. Day Six

Another day, another chapter.

It's actually a short chapter without Aomine, so maybe it won't be too interesting but I got something really nice planned in the next or the one after the next. Hope you'll like it Karen and of course the other readers. Big thanks once more go to...

**_- review section removed after story ended for better view -_**

Once more, thank you for your lovely reviews, the follows and favorites. I hope you'll continue to enjoy this story. Especially you, Karen, I know you're reading it already. I told you I'd update it this early.

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><p><em><strong>DAY SIX<strong>_

"Lucky paradox."

These two words startled the orange-haired girl as she accidently pushed two buttons at the same time. The tiny figure on the television rolled forward instead of jumping towards the side which resulted into falling into a pit. A deafening cry of pain greeted her ears as the familiar words _'Game Over'_ appeared on the screen.

Mia groaned, she had been so close to beating that level, but now they had to start it again. Pouting, she lifted the controller in her hands into the air, giving the girl who lay on her bed the chance to grasp it. It only took a few seconds before the item left her hand, giving her the chance to draw her legs towards her chest. Mia had sat at the feet of her bed for a long time already; her limbs had fallen asleep and needed a bit movement.

"What do you mean?" She finally asked.

Nanami shifted slightly to get more comfortable, one finger pressing a button to start the game once more. The voice of her friend still sounded a bit funny, her cold was still clinging to her health. Although the fever had nearly disappeared completely - a great relief for both of them, Mia thought.

"You are." The black haired girl repeated; her eyes fixated on the television in front of them to not repeat the same mistake Mia had done. "A lucky paradox. I mean after what I heard about that Aomine, I was to one hundred percent sure he would kill you."

The girl who sat on the ground frowned. Both arms hugged her legs closer to her chest to seek the comfort Nanami obviously wasn't offering. Her dear friend had always been rather blunt. If not pessimistic. Painfully pessimistic.

"That's cruel, Nanami." Mia whined half-hearted.

"It's true." She insisted, her voice rising as she barely escaped an enemy in the game. "I heard that he's got some shady friends as well."

"Well, if he even got some." The orange-head sighed. "I only see him hanging around Sakurai-san. And I don't think that _he's_ the bad influence."

"Mh...what about the girl?" Nanami mused, not once letting her gaze break the contact with the television.

Girl?

Mia had to rummage through her memories for a second until she remembered the face of a stranger. The girl with the bright long hair who had come and fetched the titan in the break as he had tried to squish her head...right, she could be his friend as well. Well, that meant he had two. It wasn't her place to judge though; she barely had a single one to lean on either.

"She doesn't look like a drug dealer to me." The girl explained right after her friend cursed beneath her breath.

An enemy had crushed the figure on the screen. Forcing the letters to return which spelled '_Game Over_'. With a grumble of insults meant for the damn animated monster, she handed the controller back to Mia who was now given the chance to finally clear the level they had been stuck at the past twenty minutes.

But before she could've pressed the button, someone knocked onto her door. Both girls looked up, nearly calling out at the same time that the door was open. That invitation led an older woman to push the wooden barrier open. She smiled at the teenagers who she had seen in that situation already a handful of times, her one hand forcing a few stubborn hair strands to get out of her sight.

"There is a call for you, Mia."

A call?

The orange haired girl turned towards Nanami in confusion although her friend shrugged with her shoulders just as surprised as she was. After a second of hesitation, Mia handed the controller back to the black haired girl, standing up to obediently answer the unexpected caller.

"Thanks, Mum." Mia said while waving at the other girl. "You can try again without me."

"Alright." Nanami breathed, her attention slowly returning towards the screen.

The other one of them followed her mother down the stairs where their telephone was placed, the older woman smiled slightly at her daughter as she carried on towards the kitchen. The distinct scent of a meal which was cooked filled Mia's nostrils as her mind tried to guess what they would eat today. Something with meat, her inner voice hummed delightfully while her hand grasped the receiver.

"Hello?"

_"Ah, Nidori-san, right?"_

She didn't know that voice was Mia's first thought. It was definitely female. But none of her classmates had ever a reason up until now to call her at home. The orange haired girl furrowed her brow, adjusting her grip on the receiver as her gaze fell to the pad next to the telephone.

"Y...yeah. Can I help you with something?"

There was a breath of relief on the other side of the line accompanied by a giggle. _"You probably won't remember me. But my name is Momoi Satsuki."_

"Uh-huh?" She had no idea who that was. Surely no classmate, right?

_"I just wanted to ask you something. It maybe sounds a bit weird but...have you become friends with Aomine-kun?"_

Aomine?

If there weren't enough wrinkles on Mia's forehead yet then surely there were now. Who would want to know something like that? She couldn't imagine anyone out there care about the relationship she had with that guy. If someone could even call what little interaction they had over the past week a relationship of some sort.

"No." The orange-head replied honestly. "No, I don't think I have."

At first there was silence. No breath or word reached her ears until Mia actually glanced at the telephone to check if the stranger had already hung up. But if the display wasn't lying at her, and the girl was certain she had never done anything to their phone which could lead the object to do so, the call hadn't ended yet.

_"Oh."_ Ah, finally a sign of life. A slightly disappointed one if she heard correctly. _"Well, I really hope that you do become friends. I don't know if I'm wrong but Aomine-kun is doing better than before. Even if it's just a little bit."_

What?

Mia fidgeted a bit on her feet, feeling suddenly a bit uncomfortable. What had exactly happened that changed her life so much? It was as if everything circled around that blue haired guy since she had dared to wake him up. If this was some show then he was something like the sleeping dragon and she the poor excuse of protagonist who pushed the wrong button with full force.

Or maybe a stupid comedy show on her behalf.

Her lips formed a few words she couldn't speak; she was at loss because _how_ could she reply to such a request? It was weird to be asked something like that. They were high school students for god's sake and not little children...or weren't they?

"Uh..." Was the first thing she was able to utter before she cleared her throat. "...okay?"

_"Thank you. Have a nice day!"_

And just like that the stranger or better said, Momoi Satsuki, hung up on her. Mia blinked, still confused, at the telephone and then at the receiver as she let her hand fell from her ear. What was that about? Who was that? Why in the world would someone ask her something like this? And the request to...the girl frowned at her feet before she put the receiver back to its original place.

She shouldn't be surprised anymore. Her life had suddenly taken a turn to strange situations and events. Maybe she really was a paradox like Nanami said, although she couldn't vouch for the lucky part.

"Ah, Mia - dinner is ready in half an hour, alright? I made an extra salad without onions for Nanami-chan."

Her mother's voice reached her ears numbly before the meaning finally got through her head. Quickly the teenager nodded. Soon realizing that the woman couldn't see it while being in another room, she scoffed slightly at her own stupidity. She was too tired already. Approaching the staircase to return to her room, Mia parted her lips to reply loudly.

"Alright, thanks mum!"

The orange-head hurried up the stairs, rushing into her room without missing a heartbeat because in her own four walls she felt the safest. At her sudden entrance her friend stopped the game, tilting her head towards her in a confused manner. Nanami's expression was still as calm and collected as ever even though her voice carried her caginess perfectly.

"What's wrong? Who called?"

Mia slumped down in front of the bed once more, a deep sigh escaping her as she leaned against the bed.

"I don't even know anymore..."

At first Nanami lifted an eyebrow into the air, staring the girl down before she dared to start the game again. By a single glance Mia could tell that she was still stuck in the same level as they were before. A familiar silence filled the room. Only the clash of weapons and music from the television filled the air around them with some kind of noise. The orange-head watched her friend play a while longer until her mind had finally pieced the words together for the next question she wanted to ask.

"Who in the hell is Momoi Satsuki?"


	7. Day Eight

Updated twice a day. I warned you, haha. Yeah, well, time schedule and stuff. Big thanks to...

_**CopraMeow**_ - Oh, I don't know...it's not like we're throwing fluff and adorableness against his head, right? We wouldn't dare, muhaha.  
><em><strong>BDDB<strong>_ - Glad Momoi appeared to be in character, she's so flexible if you think about how she acts in games...but I pictured her to be happy if Aomine is able to make a real friend xD  
><em><strong>SamTsui<strong>_ - Glad that the friendship between the OCs is appreciated, haha. And yes, yes adorableness all the way.

In the next chapter there will be more Aomine of course and actually a lot more interaction, now where the two have established a tiny routine. And after the next chapter we reach the hints to the plot of the manga/anime. InterHigh.

Thanks for the follows and favorites. I hope you'll have fun reading the new chapter. It's pretty short.

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><p><em><strong>DAY EIGHT<strong>_

"Ah, Nidori."

Aomine lifted his head slightly which he had previously buried in his cradled arms. He looked surprisingly even more tired than he had the last few days. Though she couldn't imagine him doing anything exhausting, the way he carried himself always looked so lazy and slow. Carefully she took a seat on her chair, her schoolbag sliding to the ground in process.

"Morning." She greeted back.

Surprisingly normal.

That exchange sounded as if they had known each other since the beginning of the first semester.

Of course, the girl still had no idea what exactly was going on in his head. But after the weekend her mood felt fresh and peaceful. The incidents moved towards the back of her head. And the heavy vibe he gave off didn't scare her as much anymore as it used to. The only thing which still bothered her was the weird call she had received on Saturday. The orange haired girl was uncertain if she should ask the very person the conversation was about who exactly Momoi Satsuki was.

And how she got her number.

Seriously.

How.

"I'm bored."

Her thoughts vanished in an instant as his voice filled her head instead. Mia quickly glanced at him, only to see that he had put his head once more onto his folded arms while he was still facing her. The unusual deep navy eyes of his bored another hole into her forehead, she believed. Every look of him was always so fierce.

"Well...you could actually take notes in class for a change."

Aomine snorted. His expression changing with a small grin which started to tug at his lips - it must have been a miracle which had occurred. How else was it possible that his attitude had changed so much in such a short time? Or had it always been that way? It couldn't be. Right?

"Stupid. You shouldn't ask for the impossible."

Mia couldn't help but laugh quietly at his reply. Her hands slowly started to fetch her notebooks and pencils from her schoolbag because _she,_ on the other hand, was a good student and tried to learn as much as she could. Well. Often at least. Sometimes. Mostly right before the exams...only before the exams.

"You're right." The orange-head said quietly. "It _is_ impossible."

That comment earned her a puzzled glare. The basketball player lifted his head, staring at her as if he couldn't believe himself that she had actually dared to counter his comment. His eyes narrowed while the grin widened, it was obvious that her classmate was about to say something witty himself. But suddenly a light laugh interrupted their moment and both of their heads turned towards Sakurai.

The brown haired boy quickly cupped his mouth, horrified at what he had done. His head twisted around towards them, the round eyes filled with fear as he blinked at the titan behind him.

"I'm sorry." It blurted out of him. "I-I didn't mean to listen! Or to laugh! I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Mia smiled to herself as Aomine started to say something to their classmate. She didn't listen anymore; her mind was occupied by the check-up she did to make sure her homework was complete. Nanami had stayed after dinner on Saturday, only to make sure the orange-head understood the latest issue in Mathematics. It had been a hard hour for both of them, one being impatient while the other just didn't want to understand.

It felt as if her brain rejected any number or formula she read. She'd never master the complicated combinations of letters and numbers, her only hope was to pass this semester and move on to the next. Thank god, her friend was an angel who got easily bribed with the delicious food her mother cooked.

"Is this the homework?" Aomine asked as he leaned over to her table.

Mia jumped in surprise, shifting away from the tall teenager who had invaded her personal space while her hands tried to hide the content of the notebook.

"No?"

"Let me copy." He urged. One hand already reached for her notebook which definitely didn't hit her good nerve. Quickly the girl lifted the book towards her right, keeping it successfully out of the basketball player's reach which made him frown at her in annoyance.

"I won't let you just copy my stuff." She argued, keeping the blush at bay. It barely reached her face yet luckily. That was a first. She said no immediately without hesitation, too. Although his close proximity made her suddenly nervous again; she liked it better when he stuck to his own desk. But at least her face didn't turn into a tomato. She was thankful for that.

"Come on, the teacher is going to have my head."

Determined Mia shook her head. "You're lazy, your fault."

"Tch." Aomine clicked his tongue, his expression darkening as she refused to obey his wishes. "Fine. I'll buy you spicy bread in break. Just give me your notes."

That made her halt, her expression was softening as she considered his offer. She surely wouldn't mind another snack next to her own sandwich. And it would save her some allowance if he bought it instead of her. Mia pursed her lips in thought, staring at the tall blue haired guy who slowly realized that he had her hooked.

"...f...fine." She breathed in the end, handing him her notebook willingly which he accepted with ease.

"Sweet." Quickly he opened his own one and started to scribble down the many numbers and symbols which graced the page. "Oh, you're handwriting is surprisingly neat..." He mumbled quietly, although it was loud enough for Mia to hear.

"Of course it is...unlike yours."

Aomine snorted at that comment as he continued to write. Apparently, he couldn't be insulted if someone criticized his handwriting, the girl mused. She pushed her elbows onto the table and cupped her chin with her hands, deciding to watch the tall teenager at her side while he copied her homework impatiently.

Surprisingly, he appeared to be human when he was writing something. And not long ago she had labeled him as a monster in her head. Actually this whole moment was pretty hilarious. If someone told her that something like this would happen two weeks ago. She would've probably laughed until she was crying. Or she would've just stared weirdly at the person who said that because, let's be honest. It felt like they were living in a parallel dimension of some sort at the moment.

He was still rude, her mind decided. He really was.

"Whatever..." Mia mumbled to herself, crossing her feet beneath the table.

At least he bought her food.


	8. Day Nine

Another day, another chapter. The plot finally starts, slowly but surely and Karen your birthday gives me nightmares because I'm just so really slowly with the pace. Convince your parents you were born on another day, please.

Big thanks to _**CopraMeow**_, _**SamTsui**_ and _**BDDB**_. I'm glad you liked the previous chapter; it was pretty short, haha.

I still got a bit stuff to do, so I'll make it short. Thanks again for the follows, favorites and reviews. It makes me really happy that you like the story even though it's all very slow. I suck, I know. I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.

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><p><em><strong>DAY NINE<strong>_

_"Ah."_ Mia blinked at the blackboard in front of them as a thought hit her.

Her table neighbor slowly turned away from the window to face her, his expression filled with the boredom he felt since he had slept the past few lessons and his body refused to take another nap for now. The monotone voice of the teacher filtered the air and left nothing but silence behind. It was a surprise that at least half of the class still tried to contribute to the lesson.

The two of them in the back had already given up.

"Isn't some basketball tournament coming up?" She whispered quietly, not once looking away from the blackboard, where now a few notes were written upon. The orange-head was certain she had heard about it in PE. A few guys had been talking about it.

InterHigh.

Though she wasn't sure if it had already started or not.

Aomine shrugged with his broad shoulders. His eyes watching her pencil as it moved with every letter she wrote into her notebook. "Yeah...whatever."

Surprised the girl stopped taking notes and turned towards the basketball player who still looked at her hand which had now stopped moving. She hadn't expected such a tone coming from him. Well, yes, he was always bored and rarely sounded agitated. Expect when he laughed. And her inner voice and mind had already agreed that this sound still gave her the creeps. If someone had a serial killer laugh and grin then it was the teenager next to her.

"Aren't you excited?" She whispered while furrowing her brow. "A tournament is a big thing, right?"

"They are all too weak." Aomine grumbled. His eyes darkening as he started to glare at her pencil.

Taken back Mia blinked at him for a few seconds. That was very same expression and sound which had terrified her in the past. The nasty glare in his eyes, the frown on his lips as if he was ready to start a fight the very second someone provoked him. She felt suddenly very lucky that he chose to sent the daggers of death towards her pencil and not her face. She probably would have suffocated on the tension he created.

A bit awkwardly the girl shifted on her seat. Her fingers drumming a low beat onto the table before she mustered enough courage to speak up again.

"Is basketball difficult?"

Her soft spoken question eased the grimace on his face away. And his gaze finally lifted, ever so slowly that it made her squirm a bit, until it reached her eyes. It was a relief to see that the twirling dark emotions seemed to have disappeared - because she couldn't handle serial killer Aomine for sure - and were replaced by something else. An idea.

"I can show you."

"What?" Surprised Mia stared at him as if another head had grown on his shoulder. But quickly she broke their eye contact to make sure the teacher hadn't heard her. That offer had sounded too surreal; she hadn't even bothered to keep her voice down. Although it seemed that the old man had lost track of time and passion himself, his eyes were glued to the book he used to write a handful of notes onto the board.

"I got nothin' to do anyway." Aomine continued as if she hadn't stared at him as if he was crazy.

Well.

That was not what she expected. But it was all the more better than having him look like he was about to lit something on fire. She was free after school, too. Nanami had to go to her Literature Club today; they wouldn't be able to hang out anyway. But...the girl bit her lip, her eyes were scanning the blank, if not still bored expression of Aomine who stared her down.

It would be a public place.

Enough witnesses if all hell broke loose.

"...sure." She agreed after a long minute. "Why not."

The light twitch which nearly pulled the side of his lips into a grin was something which unsettled her.

Was that positive or negative?

* * *

><p>"I was never in this park before..." Mia looked around the green scenery. She had never bothered to check the area around their school before. All she did was walk from the station to the school. And from the school to the train station, the only detour she managed was to visit the diner who was on the way between point A and point B with Nanami together.<p>

It was certainly a nice surprise to find an entire park here. Filled with trees, well-made paths to walk on and flower beds scattered around a few open meadows which definitely served as a picnic place in summer. Who would have expected that Aomine knew of such a place?

He leaded her further through the park, their conversation had been rather short since it was a bit awkward for both of them, she guessed. To talk in a classroom was definitely not comparable to talking with another out of school.

"Here." He finally said which drew Mia's attention towards the place he had found.

Oh, a real basketball hoop was there. The ground became even, a firm texture in a bright bloody orange had been spread over the earth to promise a tight grip for the shoes. The teenager in front of her set his bag aside and pulled a brand new basketball out of a sachet he had gotten from somewhere in school. Before he approached the playground any further however, he quickly shrugged off his blazer, pushing the sleeves of his snow-white shirt towards his elbows.

"You know the basics?" He threw over his shoulders as Mia still stared at the contrast of the color of his skin and the uniform's shirt. It gave him a more casual appearance, making it more obvious that right now that they weren't at school.

"Well...you have to dribble the ball all the time, right?" She tried as the blue haired guy started to do the exact same thing she mentioned.

"Yeah. And you can't hold onto the ball forever either. Or you get a violation."

"What?" Mia drawled out as she placed her bag besides his, her fingers brushing out the ends of her sweater. She was actually glad she didn't wear her school's blazer today as the sun was shining brightly in the sky. Summer was slowly but surely approaching them. Or maybe she could already call it the early start of it. "Where did you get the ball anyway?"

"Basketball club." Aomine replied without missing a heartbeat while changing the hand he used to bounce the ball with. "They had practice today, so I just grabbed one of them."

The dark eyes of the girl widened and she opened her mouth terrified. "You have practice today? You can't skip that!"

Her classmate snorted at her weak attempt at telling him what to do and what not. He turned away from her, forcing the ball to bounce with him with every single step he took until he stood in front of the basketball hoop. Mia, on the other hand, couldn't understand why he was able to just brush it off like that. Yeah, sure, Nanami mentioned that he was well-known in the basketball area. But everybody needed practice, didn't they? And if she remembered how lazy he had always been in the lessons up until now, he couldn't tell her that he didn't need it.

"I don't need it." He argued with her last thought without knowing it. And with every syllable she could literally taste the confidence he spread.

Mia pursed her lips, unsatisfied with his attitude which was far from perfect. Although she was in no position to tell him otherwise, he had really sounded angry back then when he mentioned that the others were too weak...maybe there was something to that statement. At least from his point of view, in her opinion he was still lazy and sucked in school.

"Well...if you say so..." The orange-head gave in.

"I do." Aomine agreed, throwing the ball at her which she barely caught with both of her hands. "So let's start with dribbling."

"O...okay."

Carefully she weighed the ball with both of her hands; the smell of rubber surrounded the object. A scent which fitted it strangely well, she observed. She never really had one in her hands before, only sometimes in PE. It took a few moments before she dared to try her first attempt at dribbling. And quickly she realized how easy he had made it look like. The ball barely stayed on one spot, forcing her to shift with every bounce it took.

It made it only worse as even Aomine started grinning. "You need to keep your hand steady; next to your chest is the best way for a starter." He explained lazily while swiftly gesturing what he meant.

_Oh_.

Trying her best to ignore his obvious amusement at her clumsy start, she followed his instruction. She was still far from perfect, that was a fact, but at least the ball didn't try to jump into every direction anymore. It actually felt like an achievement.

The tall teen crossed his arms, still grinning at the expression she wore which was filled with concentration. He hadn't expected her to be this determined. Doing what he said to improve. Aomine leaned back onto his left leg, watching Mia continue to dribble awkwardly for awhile until he spoke once more.

"Want me to help you with the shots, _too_?"

Immediately he could feel the scowl of the girl who glowered at him from her position. She maybe would have said '_yes_' if he wouldn't sound so...how could she call it. Arrogant. Yes. That was it. He made it sound like as if he had invented the sport. She knew he was already a bit on the '_I love myself_' side but she certainly had to change the tune he used.

"No way." Mia argued. "I bet I can take you on already, Mr. I don't need practice."

The basketball player chuckled quietly, his grin shrinking into a sinister smirk. Whatever button she had pushed, she regretted it already. She thought he would laugh it off or make another snarky comment. But she didn't expect him to look at her like a lion who was laughing at his prey.

"Try me. One-on-One"

He opened his arms, challenging her and too stubborn to go back on her word she bravely approached him. Feeling lucky enough that she didn't lose the ball on her way, Mia found herself facing the tanned teenager whose eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

She was doomed.

She knew that right after she blinked once, ready to try and charge forward, only to realize that the ball had disappeared in an instant. Mia's eyes widened as she tried to find the basketball on the ground, it could have slipped from her grasp - but as she lifted her gaze she barely caught the tall figure of her classmate who jumped into the air and dunked the very ball she missed into the hoop.

"Wait, _what_?" The girl breath confused.

"Wanna try again?" His cocky grin burned in her eyes as he caught the ball and turned back towards her.

"How did you _even_-" Flabbergasted she pointed at him. She could have sworn he hadn't moved a single centimeter. He was right before her; for god's sake she had only blinked once and he was already all over the damn place! Was he able to teleport? He must be! "-_one_ more time!"

Mia caught the ball, her eyes narrowing in determination to not let him teleport once more. And as she slowly started to dribble the ball again which actually felt a bit easier on the second try she could sense the familiar intimidating vibe, the blue haired guy gave off as he stepped in front of her. With her eyes wide open she tried once more to take a step-

Just to lose the ball again.

His hand had barely moved but he somehow got hold of the ball anyway. In terror Mia could only watch his body nearly fly over the ground, his movement smooth and swift as he ran towards the hoop. And just like before, he jumped effortlessly into the air, dunking the ball into the hoop.

Was that even possible?

Was he even _human_?

Mia stared open mouthed at the teenager who caught the ball again, walking towards her with a grin which was just as horrible as the one before. Oh that damn, stupid, lazy guy who was magically able to suddenly run as fast as lightning.

"Again?"

"One more time!" The orange haired girl replied immediately, reaching for the ball in his hand.

She must wipe this damn grin off his face. If her life had ever needed a meaning then the girl was certain _this_ was it. It was her mission to break that damn annoying grin which was plastered all over his face. She didn't care how she did it; she only knew that it must be done. Somehow.

Slowly Mia started to dribble again, her dark eyes flying from left to right. There was no way in hell she got past him. She just needed to breath and think _'Hey, I should move towards the right.'_ and the ball would already be stolen by Aomine in an instant. There was no way, she would be able to jump over his head or crawl through his legs, not while bouncing the ball up and down anyway.

Aomine's grin widened as he saw her struggle.

That alone caused the blood to rush into her face out of frustration. Blended by his arrogance Mia cursed and took a step back before throwing the ball blindly into the direction of the hoop. Her tall classmate had at least the manner to blink at her surprised before his blue eyes followed the flying orange orb which crashed against the wooden board behind the basketball hoop.

Both of them stared at the ball as it fell onto the edge of the metal ring, the net beneath it shaking with force before the basketball bounced out of it and landed on the ground. Slowly it rolled to halt, leaving nothing but a broken dream of a girl behind.

"Oh, _damn it_!" Mia hissed, throwing her hands into the air. "Did you see that? I'll _never_ get so close to scoring a point ever again! _Never_!"

Aomine turned back around to her, watching her throw a fist in frustration before he started to laugh. And if her ears didn't lie to her, it actually sounded quite genuine. Or at least not as sinister as the previous ones...

Slowly the orange haired girl stopped whining. Her eyes landing on the tall teenager who surprised her with his laughter; she hadn't expected that. She had always disliked seeing him grin or laugh because it always sounded so mean. But this time she couldn't complain. This was only time up until now, she actually _liked_ to hear him laugh, Mia realized.

"Not, bad. Not bad." Aomine said after he had calmed down again, his eyes still glinting in amusement. "But ya really need to work on your aim."

"Oh, shut it." The girl grumbled, feeling the blush spread across her ears and neck. He really had to destroy everything with his attitude. "Better show me how to shoot properly..."

Her tall classmate chuckled quietly to himself as he quickly went to fetch the ball again. Mia waited obediently in front of the hoop until Aomine approached her side, holding the ball with nothing but his fingertips in front of him.

"At first you need to hold it like this..."

She nearly drowned out his voice as her hands tried to copy his. The determination returned full force to understand this sport better. Maybe because she still wanted to wipe his grin off his face. Or maybe even _because_ it had actually made him laugh for real...

Mia didn't know which one.

Although she didn't care either.


	9. Day Eleven

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...  
><em><strong>It's Lucy's Wonderland Madness<strong>_, _**chris geo**_ - I follow the anime because I just started reading the manga :D but maybe I'll find something in the manga to use as well, _**Hind-x**_ - I'm glad you think so, I wanted Mia to challenge him in some way without having her act like Momoi, _**DrAnime203**_, _**Horseface28**_ and _**CopraMeow, SamTsui, DBBD**_.

I'm glad you liked the previous chapter, it was my only idea on how those two would finally kick off to a positive start. Mia offers excitement and interest which finally gives Aomine a little challenge even though he has become so bored with the sport. So yay, bonding time.

Thank you very much for all the favorites, follows and reviews. I always love to hear your opinion and ideas. Don't expect too much romance immediately though, they've become closer but won't marry off right away, haha. More fluff, more relationship development all the way.

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><p><em><strong>DAY ELEVEN<strong>_

"So, you're friends with him now?"

Nanami's question forced Mia to look up from her sandwich. It was fairly obvious who she was talking about. And the orange-head hadn't seen the basketball player yet because he always seemed to skip the lessons whenever he felt like it. Today was not an exception. Slowly the girl set her elbows upon the table, her eyes fixating Nanami, before she started to speak.

"I don't know..." She mumbled quietly. Her voice lost its strength as she remembered the way they had actually played basketball together the day before yesterday. "...maybe?"

She hadn't really wanted this. The attention of the tall teenager whenever she stepped into the classroom; it wasn't bad. She had to remind herself that her fear had nearly completely left her since last week. As they hadn't known each other, she had only seen him from afar. And he had always looked so angry. Whenever their gazes had met, he'd automatically glare back.

But now, where she had actually talked with him or better said got to know him to some degree...it was hard to believe at first, yeah...but Aomine wasn't the monster, she thought he was. He still looked scary, sure, but Mia acknowledged that table neighbor of hers as an acquaintance now. _Friend_ was too much, though.

She was to eighty percent sure, he wouldn't kill her anymore.

If that wasn't something then the girl didn't know what could be.

Nanami mused over her answer, her chopsticks picking at the tomatoes in her lunchbox with disinterest. The black haired student didn't make it clear what she thought about this whole situation, other than Mia was apparently very lucky to have somehow made her way onto the good side of their tall classmate that is. And the orange-head couldn't agree more with that.

"Nidori-san?"

Their heads turned towards a girl which stood next to their table. Neither of them could recall her name right away but their classmate didn't really give them a chance to guess it.

"There is someone who wants to see you."

"What?" Mia let her gaze wander towards the door of their class. In between the small groups of students which had gathered around some tables to eat their own lunches, she could distinctively recognize a girl standing in the entrance. The unusual bright shade of pink her hair had stood out. And after a second of surprise, she remembered the day well where it was this very stranger who had dragged Aomine away.

"Oh, thank you..." The orange haired girl nodded towards their classmate who quickly disappeared afterwards, leaving the two of them behind.

"That's the drug dealer, right?" Nanami mumbled as she glanced at the visitor.

"I thought we had agreed that she didn't look like one." Her friend replied as she stood up, putting her sandwich aside.

"You did. I always think the ones who are most innocent looking are the bad guys."

Mia couldn't help but laugh at that statement, shaking her head. "Sure." She breathed, pushing her chair back as she slowly stepped away from the table. "I'm going to look what she wants...she probably only wants to know where Aomine is."

Nanami nodded, still chewing on her meal as she watched the other one leave. Mia, on the other hand, still wondered why she would be the one the girl from the parallel class wanted to speak to. She didn't know where the giant was. He came and he went. Whenever he liked to do who-knew-what in his disappearance.

The visitor started to smile at her as the orange-head reached her, folding her arms behind her back.

"Ah, Nidori-san. I'm sorry I surprised you a few days ago."

What? Confused the girl blinked at the stranger, her mind trying to fetch the situation, she could be talking about. She certainly couldn't mean the day from last week, could she? It was a bit too late to apologize...for...well, nothing.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I have never properly introduced myself, have I? My name is Momoi Satsuki. I called you last Saturday."

"Oh." Mia breathed. Now where she thought about it, her voice did sound quite similar. "Sorry. I mean, for not remembering...I was just a bit surprised...I'm Nidori Mia."

Momoi laughed slightly, waving her arms in front of her. "That's no problem. I called you without a warning! Although..." The smile suddenly left her face, the deep rosy eyes fell to the ground in between the girls as she tried to gather the next words. "...Nidori-san...I know, I probably ask for too much...but I have another request."

"Another request?" Mia asked puzzled.

She couldn't really have been serious as she had asked her to become Aomine's friend..._right_?

Momoi, however, nodded. She folded her hands in front of her chest, a gesture which made her plea look a lot more desperate than it should be. "Please encourage Aomine-kun to go to practice again."

Mia could've fallen over, stunned to hear such words from a girl she barely knew. Why in the world did she expect _her_ to do this? She didn't know that basketball player! They had barely talked to each other for a week and the most part of it was filled with fear and plans for a funeral. _Her funeral_. And if Mia wasn't wrong than this girl must be Aomine's friend or girlfriend or guardian, _whatever_ - she wasn't scared of him at all. It should be her job, right?

"I..."

_Ah_...the girl had even forgotten Aomine's scary face for a second. The moment she had approached the topic basketball...he had looked so angry...as they were in the park, it was better. Definitely. But the way he had spoken of the tournament and how he had skipped practice without a care...and obviously he did so often as well...

Slowly Mia shook her head.

"I'm in no position to tell him what to do...sorry, Momoi-san."

"I see." The pink haired student replied disappointed. "I just thought that maybe he'd listen to you because he's so stubborn when I try."

"Can...can I ask _why_ you think he'd listen to me? I barely know him."

Momoi nodded, crossing her arms in front of her chest with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Since last week he had been in a better mood...only a bit. But anything is an improvement for Aomine-kun. And yesterday, he actually showed up at practice." Her rosy orbs lit up. "He only came to fetch his stupid magazine and a basketball. But when we asked him why the ball, he said he'd play a bit with a girl...it was the closest thing to actually _practicing_ he has done since the start of school."

That guy _really_ never trained, did he? How come he was so fast anyway...

"...I see, why you'd ask me, Momoi-san." Mia replied carefully. "But honestly...I don't think I can make him go to practice."

"Well...it was worth a try." The female student laughed, but the sound ended in a sigh. "All he does is sleeping on the roof...I wish he'd show more passion again..."

The roof? So that's where that guy hid all the time.

"Sorry." Said Mia instead which made Momoi smile at her warmly.

"No problem, thank you for listening to me. I really do hope you'll become his friend, Nidori-san. I can't always look after him...not while we're in different classes anyway." Quickly the pink haired girl bowed lightly, expressing her gratitude a bit too much to Mia's liking. She didn't really do anything except saying '_no_' anyway.

"See you then."

That was all she heard before Momoi had already disappeared, returning to her own classroom before the break was over. Mia still stood at the entrance, her mind taking in all the information she received. Momoi Satsuki seemed to be really worried about this guy while being unable to keep him completely in check. It was hard to look after a person like Aomine when you were in different classes.

All the more if it _was_ Aomine.

The orange-head found herself hesitating. Her feet were glued to the ground, not moving or turning around to walk back to her table. It wasn't her business. It really wasn't. But after a handful of seconds, only standing there on the spot, she finally came to a conclusion on what she should do. Swiftly she looked back to Nanami and called out.

"I'll be back in five minutes!"

Quickly Mia left the room and started to jog down the corridor.

* * *

><p>The small, soft object landed on his stomach with a thud. The movement didn't wake him from his slumber, he felt barely disturbed by it to be exact. Only the foot which nudged his leg with caution did the trick and forced his eyelids to open.<p>

Still tired, his eyes moved towards the rustling plastic bag on his chest. His sight was a bit fuzzy after the short nap, but it didn't take him long to realize that it was a bread which had been bought at the cafeteria. His flat stare flickered towards the pair of legs in his view, snow-white socks which clung to pale thighs. A familiar black skirt and a fitting black sweater followed suit, until his blue eyes reached the face of no one else than Mia.

The girl bit her bottom lip. She wasn't sure how he'd react when he was awoken, but after her conversation with Momoi there was no way she wouldn't feel some kind of obligation to help out.

"Ah, _Nidori_..." Aomine murmured before he shortly afterwards yawned. "I'm tired...what do you want."

"Class starts soon." The girl replied. "You shouldn't skip too much, you know. The final exams are coming up."

A lazy grin pulled at his lips, his body slightly turning away from her to escape the sun which was still shining brightly above them.

"Who cares..."

_I don't know._

That's what she wanted to say so badly, but the words just wouldn't leave her lips.

Very carefully, the girl brushed over her skirt, holding onto it behind her knees as she crouched down next to the tall teenager whose legs looked even longer when he was lying across the pavement. His gaze wandered towards her as she moved, their eyes locked as the space between them became a bit smaller.

Finally, he twisted his body back into her direction, his hands still supporting his head as if they were a pillow. He looked bored. And boredom was something Mia could handle. She believed that the second he would get angry or moody, all courage would leave her body. So as long as she dared to speak up, she would.

"Your marks do." She finally replied half-hearted instead.

"Mh..." For only a second he looked away, watching the bread which had fallen off his chest onto the ground next to him as he had moved. "...and why the spicy bread?"

"...it's bribery."

Aomine laughed slightly, the sound rich enough to make her ears vibrate. Mia could feel the blood rush into her head, she felt embarrassed but it had been the truth. She was childish enough to believe that this damn thing was enough to conquer him. Or at least something like that...and it didn't help that she was so close to him, it felt like she could hear every breath he took.

"I'll just sleep on my desk then." He argued, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

Oh, great. He had noticed her flushed face, _of course he had_, and now he was making fun of her. Further embarrassed the orange haired girl broke their eye contact and looked towards her right. Away from him and his damn face, her mind hissed as she pursed her lips.

"...that's good enough." She mumbled.

Aomine blinked at her profile, the sun was shining on it from an angle which made it a bit hard to make out what her expression was. But his eyes could see the way she grimaced slightly, her eyes betraying the defeat of her emotions. He sighed deeply, his muscles stretched and flexed as he suddenly chose to sit up. A movement which startled Mia so much she nearly fell backwards.

But she caught herself and found the basketball player on her very eye level now where he had sat up.

"I'm not cheap." He said.

The girl swore her face was on fire, he was too close, way too close to her face but if she now backed down, she'd never hear the end of it. Her body became stiff, freezing into place as her hands held onto her legs to find halt in something else than the ground beneath her feet.

"...then I'll buy more bread."

Her classmate shook his head, a sinister grin creeping onto his lips.

"How about you _finally_ make a good shot?"

His words forced her head to turn towards him completely. She was actually brave enough to narrow her dark eyes at him, staring him down with determination even though the embarrassment still clung to her ears. Just because she wasn't able to make a single shot that day!

"_Fine_. Fine, I'll do that."

"Oh, really?"

"You'll see." Mia grumbled, quickly standing up to escape the personal space he had already invaded again. "I'll make one."

The basketball player looked up at her, his eyes roaming her expression and body language - or at least that's what she believed, before he grabbed the spicy bread and stood up. His height was exposed once more to her and Mia was forced to crane her neck to see his face properly.

"Deal."


	10. Day Fifteen

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**CopraMeow**_ - We'll see about that :D muhaha, _**It's Lucy's Wonderland Madness**_ - thank you very much!, _**ivyknightfire**_ - I'm glad Aomine isn't ooc and that you like Mia! All the kudos go to a friend of mine, _**AmandaVonDoom**_ - I love reviews! And I'm glad you like the story, I know I'm really slow with the romance. I hope you can be patient enough with me, haha. And to have a chapter about Aomine's thoughts sounds so interesting...I didn't think about writing one, but I'll definitely consider it now, _**DBBD**_ and _**SamTsui**_.

It is rather short, sorry about that. But hey, more interaction, more bonding. More potential.

Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews! I'm happy that you enjoy it.

* * *

><p><em><strong>DAY FIFTEEN<strong>_

She hummed a little melody beneath her breath. The plugs in her ears sung a familiar song into her ear. The guitar dominated while the drums drowned out the missing beats until the other instruments joined their chorus.

The train station was still rather empty, although soon it would get lively with all the other people who had to use the train. Mia walked slowly up and down the path, waiting for the train to arrive since she couldn't help but do something with the beat in her head. She couldn't just stand still while listening to it.

But soon the noise of the station found a way past the heavy bass and her eyes caught the train that finally arrived. Slowly she stepped into the compartment in the middle; she always climbed into the last one up until now because she always had to run to catch it. Luckily today, wasn't the case and just as she expected it, the middle compartment was a lot emptier than the others.

Mia stayed at the doors as they closed, considering finding a place to sit down even though she only had four stops to go. Maybe she should just stay right here; then she wouldn't have to fight towards the exit to get out of here at the right station...

"Nidori-san!"

A bit startled the girl pulled the plugs out of her ears, turning towards the direction she had meant to have heard her name from. It would be an understatement if she wouldn't be surprised, the color left her face as her eyes caught the sight of no one else but Momoi Satsuki. The girl with the strange requests sat on one of the seats, waving at her in complete delight.

Slowly Mia's gaze wandered to the tall person at her side whose head hung low. It couldn't be real, right? That was her classmate, the damn table neighbor who slept their right next to Momoi. On the same train she had used these past weeks to get to school.

Was this a joke or something?

"...Momoi-san." She finally replied in the end.

"It's such a surprise, isn't it?" The pink haired girl laughed, urging the other to step closer towards them. "Do you always use this train?"

"Yeah." Mia nodded, turning the music player in her pocket off as she approached them. "I didn't know you did, too...I always get on in the back."

"Aw, that means we missed each other every day!" Quickly Momoi turned towards Aomine who still had found a way to fall asleep even though the train was moving. She grabbed his arm and shook him, complaining to the sleeping basketball player how they had missed her apparently all the time, because she had to drag him with all her might to the train day after day.

The blue haired guy barely reacted; his face grimaced in annoyance as he batted her hand away. Mia had to smile at that. It looked silly how the other girl tried to wake him up, Momoi was about as tall as she was and still looked a lot smaller when Aomine was close by. It was amazing how easily she could pull and push him around without a worry in the world.

"Jeez, Aomine-kun, you're being rude." The pink haired student grumbled in the end.

Mia quickly shook her head. "Oh, it's fine. Really, don't mind me. I mean, we sit next to each other in class anyway so..." In truth it was a relief to her if he was asleep. It was too early in the morning. She didn't mind to not deal with him right now. He _was_ kinda exhausting.

Momoi laughed; her smile bright. "You're right. How are you, Nidori-san? We rarely see each other, my classroom is far down the other hall!"

It was amazing how the girl found easily topics to talk about even though they didn't know each other much. It was slightly uncomfortable for Mia; she wasn't used to someone who was that talkative. But her reply came steadily from her lips, short and light. Hardly comparable to the waterfall of words which seemed to bubble out of Momoi after she had realized that they were having a real conversation.

"Oh, I've seen that show as well." The orange-head said as they finally left the train to walk to school.

Aomine was still grumbling to himself, too tired to say anything as his eyes dropped with every step he took. He merely walked behind the two girls, his mind probably still in bed while Momoi's mood brightened with each passing minute.

"Really?" She asked. "I _love_ that show! Even more after the episode yesterday, I can't wait till next week."

Mia laughed slightly at her energetic response; it was a nice change after all to talk to someone who was so different from herself and Nanami. She was definitely not a bad person, she liked to talk about all sorts of things, yeah, but it never became too much. She changed the topic so often that even though Mia was a bit uncomfortable in the beginning, she started to warm up.

That is, until their third wheel had enough of it.

The second they had reached their school, passing the open gate, Aomine spoke up for the first time.

"Shut up, you're so noisy, Satsuki."

Both girls turned around to him, one insulted the other just surprised that he had suddenly spoken. Momoi balled her fist at him, pouting at his sour attitude this early morning.

"What? That's mean, Aomine-kun!"

The basketball player frowned at her, his natural glare finally waking up. "It's too early for you to be annoying." His insult made Momoi only complain more, but before she could have started preaching him, he suddenly started to push Mia forward with his shoulder.

The girl stumbled at first; unwillingly hurrying her steps to not fall down while Aomine's body pressed against her back. It felt like a wall which kept her from slowing down.

"Aomine-kun!" Momoi called after him, though he never looked back.

The pink haired girl could only watch how Mia looked up at him, obviously asking him what he was doing while he replied. Soon he had stopped pushing her forward, resuming walking at her side while they talked about something judging by the way the girl looked up at him.

Momoi had stopped moving; watching both of them as they slowly disappeared with the other students in the tall building. At first, she pouted, even after all these years he was still so rude and blunt. But then her lips spread into a broad smile, her eyes shining.

"Stupid."

He really seemed to be feeling better after all.

* * *

><p>"Should we really just leave her like this?" Mia wondered after she stuffed her shoes into the small shelf. Her face twisted around towards the lockers on the other side where the tall teenager was busy putting on his own indoor shoes. He didn't look at her as he scratched the back of his head, grabbing his bag to his right.<p>

"She's always so loud in the morning."

"Well...that's not an excuse." Mia replied following him towards the staircase.

"I don't care." Aomine grumbled, his long legs were easily climbing up the steps while the girl struggled to keep up with him. "Oh." His narrow eyes looked at her while they made their way towards the classroom. "I didn't do the English homework."

"Seriously?" Mia gaped at him and his emotionless expression as he shrugged with his shoulders.

"Let me copy."

"You can't copy mine all the time! It's a miracle you have survived the mock exams..." The orange-head became quiet for a second. "...how did you do that anyway?"

Aomine didn't answer and chose to bump into her side instead. His strength nearly made her lose her balance. But she caught herself and stared at him, her expression a mix of annoyance, embarrassment and confusion. The basketball player started to grin lazily at her instead.

"When do I see your good shot?"

"Soon." Mia grumbled, breaking their eye contact as they reached their classroom. "Pretty soon."

If luck decided to stay on her side, that is.


	11. Day Sixteen

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

**_SomeRandomFemale_ **- With deadline in mind I really hurry xD I'm glad you like it, _**CopraMeow** _I really liked that, too, hehe, _**BDDB** _and _**SamTsui**_.

I have to keep it short this time; I need to leave in an hour for work. I hope there aren't too many grammar mistakes. I had to rush it a tiny bit. I hope the pace isn't too fast, I'll maybe edit it later when I'm back from my job! Sorry!

Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews! I love to hear your opinions and ideas!

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><p><em><strong>DAY SIXTEEN<strong>_

"Jeez..."

Mia's eyes rose towards the sky which had been clear an hour ago. The rainy season right before summer had always been her favorite in the past. It offered the best excuses to stay at home without appearing to be too lazy. The rain came and went, sometimes soft and easy. And sometimes harshly and with strength - today it was the latter.

And for the first time, the girl actually thought it was a shame that it had started raining. In the last lesson she and her table neighbor had somehow come to the conclusion that they should go to the park again today. He more or less provoked her, she guessed. And because Nanami was busy with her club, before they'd take a break to learn for the exams, she had nothing else to do either.

It was just her luck that the weather wasn't on her side.

The raindrops clashed onto the playground as she stood beneath a little roof which offered the bench, where their schoolbags lay upon, enough safety from the wetness. But they couldn't play like this. The orange-head had been so confident that she'd finally make a good shot. Proving Aomine that she was capable of doing that as well...but she didn't really want to do that while the rain was drenching her.

"Should we wait it out?" Mia finally asked, cradling the basketball he had fetched once more from his club - and practice he skipped - in her arms as she looked at her tall classmate.

Aomine was glaring at the grey sky above them, the frown on his face deepening. "What a pain." He grumbled. "It doesn't look like it'll stop soon."

The two of them became silent for a second, merely watching the raindrops fall in front of them. The wind picked up, pulling at the trees which made the leaves rustle. The noise was nearly drowned out by the drumming of a thousand drops. With each passing second it only became worse.

Mia's dark eyes lit up as an idea made its way through her head.

"There is a convenience store nearby. We could run there."

The tanned teenager at her side turned towards her half-hearted, his hands were pushed into his pockets as the familiar bored frown scanned her face.

"Why - you got an umbrella?"

The girl shook her head, hugging the basketball closer to her chest. "No, but there's food and drinks. Enough to survive 'till it stops raining."

The blue eyes of her classmate bored into hers as he considered her plan. The weather was obviously not improving and with every turn the wind took, the rain was aimed at their feet, slowly soaking their legs and socks. In the end, he shrugged with his shoulders, a lazy grin tugging at the corners of his lips. He turned back towards the bench, grabbing both of their schoolbags at once.

"I hope you can run."

Aomine shouldered their bags before he took off. His long legs easily stretched into a sprint as he threatened to disappear from her sight. Mia found herself gasping in surprise; her feet hesitated for a second before they started to move as well. Her body escaped the safety of the roof and she stepped out into the rain, hurrying after the guy who easily outran her by a handful of meters.

Her feet stepped into one puddle after another, her hair falling into her eyes as it slowly but surely got drenched in the rain. But her gaze still clung to the familiar blue hair in front of her who leaded the way. They ran down the path, past the flowers and pond. The basketball in her arms probably left a dry spot on her uniform later on, she was merely lucky that her school colors mostly consisted of black and red.

The store finally came into sight, just outside the park, it stood like an oasis in the desert. Quickly the teenagers rushed inside, a little ringing signaling the visitors who had found shelter here just like a handful of other people.

Mia sighed heavily, relieved that they had left the rain behind them for a moment. Her breath was ragged from the running, although as she looked up to her tall classmate, she could see that he didn't even work up a sweat. Damn those basketball players, her mind whispered, even the ones who didn't go to practice. He was a lot fitter than she was.

"I'm thirsty." She huffed between a breath, gesturing towards the corner where the drinks were placed. "I'm going to get something."

"Ah, I want soda." Aomine called after her as she made her way towards her goal. His demand made her head turn around to him, though he was already busy looking at the shelf which was filled with magazines of all sorts.

A '_please_' wouldn't hurt, Mia thought, pursing her lips. But she found herself grabbing a can of soda for him anyway. He was rude; she couldn't change that in a million years. And who knew how he'd react if she didn't bring it to him. He was moody enough.

Carefully cradling the ball in her one arm, she approached the teen who stood next to two other students from another school, flicking through a magazine in his hand with the same emotionless expression he wore in every lesson at school. Her gaze fell from his face towards the object he was holding. And her eyes widened as she started to laugh.

"Really? You have no sense of shame, have you?"

It was one of those weird flashy magazines he always carried with him, the broad letters spelling the name of some famous model that apparently had the same special attribute like the other ones she had seen on the other cover in school. The girl still couldn't believe that he seriously stood in a store with a straight face while reading one of those things. Or just looking, there was _hardly_ anything to read.

Aomine snorted, a lop-sided grin breaking his expressionless face. "Why the hell should I?" His eyes flickered towards her, where he at first scanned her doubtful look. But after a second his gaze fell, lower and lower as he definitely checked something, a gentleman would never dare to. "Heh." He breathed. "...you're bigger than I expected."

Mia's face turned a deep shade of red, the amusement leaving her eyes from one moment to another. How dare he! Quickly the girl raised her arms, crossing them awkwardly in front of her chest with the basketball and drinks still in them. She knew the clothes clung to her skin thanks to the rain and she had always liked the sweater of her uniform, because it was rather loose and comfy. A fact the weight of the rain had changed.

She didn't like attention in _that_ way.

"_Aomine!_" The orange-head hissed, her voice breaking into a lighter pitch.

The basketball player started to laugh though; his amusement definitely grew thanks to her misfortune. And that only made her face warmer and warmer when he didn't reply, apologize or continue to make suggestive, stupid comments. He only smirked at her as he took both drinks out of her grasp, leaving her behind as he approached the counter in the front.

Mia wasn't able to utter anything, the embarrassment crawling beneath her skin instead. She didn't care if he liked those perverted magazines. But she didn't need him to now make fun of her in that way either; he had already enough to bug her to begin with.

The girl found herself biting her bottom lip, pouting at her own lack of confidence to hit him or something. Who knew how fast his mood could turn, she could handle the lazy side of her classmate. But his nasty glare still sent shivers down her spine no matter what.

"Here." He drawled, holding a can of lemonade towards her.

With a frown she took it from his hand, not daring to look at his face in fear his annoying grin would still be present. She couldn't stand this stupid, _stupid_ grin. But after she glanced at the colorful can, her grudge was quickly forgotten and her eyes blinked up towards him.

"You bought it already?" The question left her lips as realization hit her further. He had carried her bag the whole time as well, without a single complain. If her face wouldn't be red already then it would surely be by now. Just because he was rude, she didn't need to be as well. "Let me return the money..."

"Save it." Aomine grumbled, taking a sip of his soda. He brushed past her and stepped outside, forcing her unknowingly to follow him.

The rain still hadn't stopped. The drops were falling from the sky without a pause, filling the streets with water and puddles which would probably disappear with the warming sunshine tomorrow. The roof of the convenience store offered luckily enough shelter outside as well as long as they didn't step too far away. With a little struggle Mia had opened her can without letting go of the ball in her arms, she didn't want to put it on the wet pavement, and in relief she took a sip.

After all their running, it felt great. The liquid was cool and delicious, the sugar and hydration just right. Even if they got wet, for the girl it was worth it already. But she wondered how they'd reach the train station if the weather wouldn't get better. The sky got darker and darker, the clouds were a swirl of white and dark grey.

_Ah_, the rain season really wasn't that great anymore...

Her nerves and heart finally calmed down again, her pale face returned to its original color. The burning sensation in her ears vanished which finally gave her the confidence back she had lost thanks to his comment earlier. If only her classmate could stay as silent as he was right now, then it would be a lot easier to deal with him on daily basis.

Mia's eyes flickered towards him carefully as she gulped down a bit more of her lemonade. His short hair hung loosely down as well, the rain dripping from its ends. His already black uniform became darker around the shoulders and probably his back as well. But nevertheless, he looked a lot dryer than she felt like.

His expression suddenly darkened as he groaned loudly. "That damn rain is never going to stop."

Skillfully he threw his empty can into the trash bin at his side, barely looking at his aim - to her disappointment he hit it anyway. That guy was too good at this sport for his own good. He turned away from her for a second, giving Mia enough time to throw her own empty drink away as well. A lot less amazing, _yeah_, she knew that.

Aomine turned back towards her again, an umbrella suddenly in his left hand. The orange haired girl stared at him puzzled, blinking at the unknown object before her eyes found the source right behind him. A little plastic box where customers were able to put their personal umbrellas into it, a little thing, so that they didn't have to carry it the whole time while they were shopping...

"You can't." Mia said, shaking her head. "That belongs to a customer."

The dark teenager in front of her scoffed, opening the black umbrella anyway. "Shut up and run."

His argument wasn't bulletproof, it certainly wasn't. But as he grabbed her wrist and dragged her with him she didn't have much of a choice. He held the umbrella above them, a shaky shield against the heavy raindrops - but because they were fleeing from a crime scene, Mia had no choice but to run as well. She was slower than he was and Aomine had to slow down _a lot_, she believed. But they had just stolen some poor soul's umbrella.

She was going to prison if she wouldn't run now!

How could this day end like this! Mia tried to push her legs to move faster, her heart was hammering against her chest again. Just when she had calmed down a few minutes ago - she had never done something like this before! And now, she was the partner in crime of the lazy classmate of hers who easily could become a serial killer if he wanted to.

She started to laugh to herself as they ran down the street towards the train station, not knowing if anyone even noticed the absence of the umbrella yet. The excitement overweighed the guilt by miles though. And with Aomine pulling her further and further towards their goal, she could easily ignore the sore muscles in her legs.


	12. Day Seventeen

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**- review section removed after story ended for better view -**_

Once more thanks for all the _follows_, _favorites_ and _reviews_! Again, I'm a bit short on time. I need to leave for work soon [_I'm_ _so busy this week, it's crazy_], so it's short. There will be more fluff in the next chapter, promise!

I want to especially thank _CopraMeow_, _BDDB_ and _SamTsui_ - I always see your names pop up in the reviews and it makes me smile like an idiot to read after every chapter what you loved! Thanks for the constant support!

I hope you guys enjoy the story. And Karen, you too, you fish. I'm happy you like your present up until now.

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><p><em><strong>DAY SEVENTEEN<strong>_

"The day after tomorrow the final exams are starting."

Mia's face turned white. It was starting, the time had come she had dreaded since she had started attending Tōō Academy. But now the dates were written across the blackboard and the students were forced to write them down, to see how many days exactly they had left till they had to be executed by the horrible questions and essays.

She wasn't that bad at school, she was average. She had believed that the freedom they had in the beginning to choose which course they'd take and bracket in the curriculum they wanted to attend the most would make things a lot easier and more interesting. Tōō Academy was known for this university like system.

But in the end they were put into different brackets which consisted of classes. The orange-head sighed. More or less it was just like the other high schools around here; merely a few things here and there differed. Final exams, however, those existed everywhere.

Quickly she wrote down the dates and subjects from the board. If they started Friday then they'd be finished by the end of next week...so only a handful of days were filled with fear and paranoia. Hopefully Nanami was finished with her Literature club soon; Mia could need any help she could get to learn for the exams.

Her gaze wandered through the class, all her classmates were just like her copying the dates or were whispering about their own misery and dread. No one was a fan of exams, obviously. But at least summer break was waiting right behind it. And just like every previous day before her eyes landed on her table neighbor in the end.

It was a first that he wasn't sleeping as often as he did in the past. And it would be an understatement if she wasn't surprised to see him actually write down the dates for the exams as well. There was no way he'd ever pass them, the girl mused, not with his attitude...although it surely was making her curious how he'd do it.

Aomine's frown darkened with every word he scribbled down, he mumbled something into his hand which was cupping his chin to support his head. Though she couldn't hear what he said. Mia blinked at his annoyed expression, lying down her pencil next to her notebook as her thoughts started to swirl around in her head. Wasn't some match coming up as well for the basketball club?

They never talked about InterHigh again but that didn't mean that her classmates didn't. The orange haired girl knew already that this tournament must be taking place in summer. Somewhere after the break had started, but there were matches before that. It was hard to imagine him play...it was harder to imagine Sakurai play.

Suddenly Aomine stopped writing, his blue eyes flickering towards her. His expression was plagued by the boredom and annoyance he felt, no wonder, the message of having to learn and pass the final exams wasn't really something you looked forward to. Even more for people who attended clubs, if their results were too bad they'd be banned from the activities until they passed the retry. Or worse.

"What?" He drawled. His face turning towards her completely.

"Nothing." Mia whispered back. "...just thinking."

The basketball player lifted an eyebrow, his pen tapping against his notebook as slowly a light grin spread on his lips.

"Can't be, you aren't blushing."

The girl could feel the annoying blush creep onto her cheeks as he pointed that out. Of course, he would tease her, even after yesterday, where he had to make a comment about her chest. He would never let her live it down for the rest of her life. Mia scowled at him before she turned away, staring back at the blackboard instead to save the last bit of dignity she had.

She worried too much.

It would be his own stupid fault if he failed the exams, better now - he would _deserve_ it.

After a second she could hear him sigh deeply, his papers were rustling as he pushed them aside. Slightly curious she decided to risk a glimpse, but the second she looked at him, he stared right back. He had folded his arms on his table, lying his head down on them while still facing her with his head. Embarrassed that he caught her Mia quickly looked forward once more, her ears slowly burning with the rush of blood which settled in her cheeks.

"I still haven't seen your good shot." He grumbled lazily.

"Only because it rained." The girl found herself arguing. "I would've made one."

Carefully her eyes checked if their teacher heard them. But to her luck the woman in the front didn't as she merely continued to talk about the rules and order around the exam time. But in the end it were just a lot of words to explain that if anyone cheated they'd be forced to face the consequences.

She could hear the teenager at her side taking a deep breath, his body slumped further into his chair and table as he got more comfortable. It was a miracle that he hadn't fallen asleep earlier already. But since she had brought him the bread to the roof a few days ago, he hadn't skipped a single lesson - except his basketball practice. If he really was keeping his word then Mia would never wake him, not after she remembered what had happened the first time she had done that anyway.

"...did...did you return the umbrella?" The girl whispered, finally forcing herself to look at her table neighbor once more.

His face was blank until its lines became harder. He was snorting at her, in his opinion, silly question.

"Of course not. It lies around somewhere at home."

Mia pressed a hand against her right cheek in hope she would be able to press the blood back into her body and to get rid of the warmth she felt. Of course, he hadn't! It was her classmate she talked about. He wouldn't return something like that.

Gosh, they had really stolen an umbrella...!

"I still need to return the money." She chose to say instead which made Aomine frown.

"_Hah_? I told you already, save it."

He did say that. But the girl couldn't help but feel bad for it, they weren't exactly friends so...or...well...maybe they were now? They talked in the classes...they had eaten lunch together already...and they met up twice - kinda - and played basketball...maybe they were really friends now? Somehow at least...

"Or just return the damn favor."

His deep voice caught her attention as she blinked at him curiously.

Aomine lifted his head, staring at her with his narrow eyes as the blue color in them reflected his sudden idea.

"Got nothin' to do this Saturday. Show me your shot and buy me a drink."

Mia's eyes lit up at his suggestion. That would be certainly different to meet him on the weekend. It wasn't after school; they'd really take their free time and spent it with another. _Maybe we are friends_, the orange-head mused. That sounded like something friends would do although she never had such a strange friendship with anyone before.

Her figure fidgeted a bit on her chair, his gaze was staring her down as he awaited her answer impatiently before Mia finally nodded.

"Okay."


	13. Day Twenty

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**It's Lucy's Wonderland Madness**_ - Thank you very much!, _**CopraMeow**_ - My thought exactly :D, _**JapaneseDeer**_ - Thank you! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!, _**Whimsical Pallette**_, _**PhoenixRage92**_ - She is, isn't she? Worrying over an umbrella, haha, _**BBDB**_ - Aaw, that's so nice of you! and _**SamTsui**_!

Again, I'm short on time! I must leave immediately for a birthday - but tomorrow everything is cool again and I can relax. Phew. So anyway - it's a little bit rushed, I might edit it later on but I hope you'll like it anyway!

Thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews! I'm really happy that you all enjoy this story!

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><p><em><strong>DAY TWENTY<strong>_

It suddenly felt weird.

She didn't have his phone number or any other way of contacting, so all Mia could do was wait at the basketball playground where they had played before. The clock in the distance said that it was two pm in the evening. The time they had chosen because it was the perfect balance between not too early and not too late.

But it was her first time to meet him in casual clothes and not their school uniform. Maybe it was better, she mused, she was able to wear her shorts today which made it definitely easier to run around and dribble the ball without having to worry that her skirt could rile up. But shortly before she left, she suddenly wondered what she should wear. Something fit for physical activity? Or just something comfy?

Mia didn't know and it was driving her nuts. The tall teenager would probably laugh at her if she wore something like a jogging suit, even more when she missed her shot. She groaned at that thought, she must find a way to throw this ball into the hoop. She had to. Which indirectly led her to wear a grey tank top beneath a comfy cardigan; she was not risking having him make another comment about her figure again.

She must appear nonchalant. That was what matters, a poker face.

Did she ever mention that she sucked at such things? Her face was an open book. Every time when her father would play cards with her because she always saw him play that with his coworkers, he would win. That man would laugh and point at her scowling face, saying that she'd never be able to lie.

"Damn him..." Mia whispered quietly, although her lips were smiling at her sneakers.

"Nidori."

Her gaze quickly rose to meet the owner of the voice. Not far away she could see no one else but Aomine walk towards her, a basketball was spinning on his forefinger even though he was moving. It shouldn't surprise her anymore that no matter what he tried to do, as long as it had to do with basketball he was able to pull it off. Making it look like it was as easy as breathing.

If only he'd show such ease in school, too.

"Hey." She greeted him, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her cardigan.

His sober expression was broken by a yawn, his hand quickly stopped the ball from spinning as he grabbed it. And with a smooth movement, he offered her the orange colored orb; the lips slowly but surely spreading into a lopsided grin.

"So, I finally see that good shot of yours?"

Mia quickly grabbed the basketball and held it close to her chest. "Sure, you will." After a short hesitation she chose to add, "I just need to warm up first.", in order save herself a bit time.

Aomine lifted a single eyebrow, scanning her calm expression before he shrugged with his broad shoulders. She felt suddenly lucky that she chose something comfy to wear because her classmate did the same. He walked past her towards the bench at the sidelines, shrugging off his dark jacket to reveal a white tank top he had worn beneath it.

The girl waited patiently on the firm ground as he placed his hooded jacket on the bench before he approached her once more. The smug grin still plastered across his damn face to her dismay.

"Need help _again_?"

"No." Mia argued immediately, narrowing her gaze as she actually turned her upper body away from him. She was hoping, it would get the ball in her arms out of his reach. "Though we never agreed, I had to make the shot while playing against you."

"_Hah?_"

"You're like a wall! There's no way I can make one while you're breathing down my neck."

The basketball player snorted, leaning his weight on his right foot as he stared her down. "So what, ya want me to stand at the sideline and watch?"

Mia bit her bottom lip, her eyes glimpsing at the hoop behind her. "...maybe?"

"No way." With a single well-aimed hit, he pushed the ball out of her grasp, letting it bounce onto the ground. The orange-head gasped and turned around although the tall teenager had already side-stepped her, dribbling the ball effortlessly with his right hand as the grin slowly shrunk into the arrogant smirk which could only belong to him.

"Aomine!" Mia wailed as she quickly tried to fetch the ball from the giant's hand.

However, it wouldn't be the rude classmate she had come to known these past days when he wouldn't dodge her attempt easily. His narrow eyes glinted in malicious glee while the girl found herself glaring at his obvious gigantic ego which barely fitted into his stupid head. Fine, he wanted to play? Mia pushed her weight onto her left leg, ready to tackle him if she had to. She was definitely not going to lose against this arrogant, lazy guy in front of her.

* * *

><p>"Here." She breathed as she held out a can of soda towards him.<p>

If she had learned anything in the past hour then it was that basketball was exhausting. It took her an eternity until she finally got the ball back. And she only achieved that by tackling his side while grabbing the ball with both of her hands before he could move once more towards the side. It was obviously breaking the rules, but life wasn't fair and she sure as hell was ready to commit a crime if it meant she'd finally get her chance to throw the ball.

All he did was blink at her surprised, watching her dribble the ball hastily towards the hoop. The first try was a failure, she hit the wooden board and the ball bounced back towards the ground. All Mia could do was yell that she wanted _'One more try!'_ before the second shot ended in another failure. It took her four times, while Aomine had finally mustered enough pity to only stand in the back and watch her, and she was able to throw the basketball into the hoop.

Sweaty but satisfied Mia had thrown her hands into the air. That counted. It definitely did whether the blue haired guy agreed or not. She had made a shot. It only needed her last ounce of energy in exchange and now she felt muscles ache she didn't even know she had.

"I can't imagine doing that on daily basis..." She sighed as she sat down next to Aomine.

"That was nothing." He replied, opening the can.

Mia took a sip of her own drink, her gaze flickering towards his face which she only saw from the side. The grin had finally left his lips as he watched the group of strangers which had appeared after they had decided to take a break. He wore the same bored expression like always, but in contrast to her he had barely started to sweat.

Damn him and his stupid stamina.

"You're really good at this..." She started to say. "...even while skipping practice, that's sick."

Aomine gulped down a portion of his drink, his blue eyes landing on her. "I don't need it."

"Yeah, you mentioned that but...doesn't everyone need practice?"

He rubbed the back of his head, his body hunching forward as he leaned his elbows onto his knees. His gaze became colder, the lines in his face harder as he frowned at nothing in particular. But this gesture made Mia nervous anyway; she didn't like it when he did that. It felt like he was taking a big step away from her and being normal.

"The only one who can beat me, is me."

If anyone else would have said that, she probably would have laughed. But it was him and he was looking so seriously at the ground at his feet. His frown was only deepening. Mia found herself grimacing as well, her forehead set in wrinkles. It was a question if it was only his arrogance which made him say that or if they was really some truth hiding behind that statement.

The orange-head played with the can in her hands, glancing at the colorful design of it. She didn't know how to reply to that. She didn't know him well enough to just put it down with a laugh or something else like that. It was hard to muster the right choice of words. At a loud yell she looked up hastily, only to see two figures of the group of strangers cheer as they apparently won the round against their friends.

At that sight, an idea popped up in her head.

"How about a challenge?" She said quickly, turning her attention back towards her classmate.

His gaze landed on her, a half-hearted look of doubt gracing his tanned face.

"There doesn't exist one."

Eagerly the girl dug through her cardigan's pocket to pull out a nice lilac colored handkerchief. The little object only let one of his eyebrows quirk, his frown softening as confusion took its place instead.

"What's with that?" He drawled.

Mia ignored his question and urged him with her free hand to hand over his right one. Curious enough to see what she wanted to do, he did what he was told, laying his bigger hand into her rather small one in contrast. The girl brushed over his rough palm, his skin hard and thick from all the playing he must have done in the past. Mia brushed these thoughts away as she tied the handkerchief around his fingers, blocking their further movement easily.

"You can only use your left hand. It's not your good one, right?"

His narrow gaze stared at their hands in silence, his expression still a mix of boredom and calm.

"...what do I get if I win anyway?"

The orange haired girl gaped at him, a bit surprised. "Jeez, uh...I buy you another drink?"

"_Nah_." He shook his head, his voice rose an octave as he found something better. "If I win...I get anything I want from you."

Mia's face fell, her eyes darkening as she started to glare at her classmate. "I _swear_, if you say homework then...then I'll throw the ball at your _head_."

Aomine started to chuckle, the sound quiet and deep as he suddenly stood up, leaving his can of soda behind on the bench.

"Then...I wanna have your telephone number."

The girl opened her mouth, gaping at the tall basketball player who already stared at the group of strangers. Those were busy by now, discussing their next round of the game while the teenagers still watched them from afar. But as his words finally sunk into her head, she could feel the blush creep onto her cheeks, her nerves tingling in frustration how easily he could ask for something as personal as that.

He was definitely only searching for a way to bug her all the time! She could already see the daily messages coming where he asks her to copy all of her homework. And he sounded so confident that he'd win. She had seen him play against her; he always used his right hand. There was no way he'd be as good with only his left hand.

"Fine." She breathed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

He won't win anyway.

Aomine threw one last arrogant grin over his shoulder before he approached the group of strangers. Proposing to join the next game. With his height and obvious stature there was no problem for him to be accepted into the team which had lost the previous round. And with a pout and determined glare Mia stayed on the bench watching the game start.

There was no way he'd win.

There just wasn't.

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><p>He won.<p> 


	14. Day Twenty One

Another day, another chapter.

_- reviews removed after story was finished for better view -_

Wow, thanks again guys for all the follow, favorites and reviews! It was a nice timing that this sweet chapter was uploaded on Valentine's Day. Although _this_ chapter is more of a slow, short time skipper then real fluff.

Sorry about that, but I've planned a big step towards the 'love-department' improvement. I just needed to establish their current stand; I hope you won't mind the lack of lovey-dovey!

Thanks for reading! I'm really, _really_ happy that you like this story!

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><p><em><strong>DAY TWENTY ONE<strong>_

Mia hugged the pillow close to her chest, watching the television intently. The noise filled the living room, voices discussing, laughing and exchanging punch lines. The girl stretched her legs over the couch she lay on. Her toes touched the thigh of an older man whose clear green eyes flickered towards her.

It was a small smile they exchanged. The atmosphere calm and relaxing as their attention returned to the colorful screen. Mia could feel him shift slightly, his upper body falling more into the cushions behind him as he sighed deeply.

"Aren't your exams next week?"

"Don't remind me, dad." The orange-head groaned.

Her father, on the other hand, laughed, his right hand grabbing her feet in a silent threat. He was going to tickle her if he wanted to and that thought alone made her tense, her legs jerking away in a weak attempt to withdraw her poor feet. Although the tall man had a strong grip, keeping his victim in place - she never won against him, she mused in defeat.

"Don't." Mia breathed. "I'll tell mum."

The smile slipped from his lips, the short bright hair - shining in the same color as her own fell into his face as he offered her his complete attention.

"Don't you dare."

The teenager started to grin, the amusement shining in their eyes as they stared each other down. But as something happened on the screen, the noises rising in volume they stopped their silly battle and turned back towards the show they had watched.

Her father started laughing at the joke from the comedian, his daughter giggling more or less because the voice of the older man was rather catching. It felt like the calm right before the storm; the next few days would be filled with stress and panic. She didn't need to be reminded of that by her dear family.

Though her father just loved torturing her.

Suddenly her mobile phone came to life, making her jump. She clung to the pillow in her arms while her heart leaped into her throat. Her father threw her a puzzled glance, his attention now divided between the television and his daughter. Hastily Mia got hold of her phone which had vibrated and signaled quite loudly the arrival of a new message.

Maybe Nanami still had problems with English?

"Is your little friend panicking as well?"

Mia merely smiled at his comment, too lazy to try and think of a comeback. Instead she gave him a light kick against his legs. After a second, however, where her eyes scanned the small screen of her black phone her lips fell into a confused thin line.

Aomine.

He seriously, _seriously_, _**seriously**_ did send her a message.

Quickly she pushed a few buttons, opening the small file until the message her classmate had written appeared on her screen.

_'I didn't do the History homework. Let me copy them tomorrow.'_

Mia could feel herself frown. She knew it. That was the very reason he had wanted her phone number, now he wouldn't have to wait until they were in class to surprise her and steal her homework. No, now he could annoy her whenever he wanted. The girl pulled her legs towards her, bending them at her knees to squish the soft pillow between her body and her legs.

_'No.'_

Her answer was short and simple. Just because he won yesterday didn't mean she'd now suddenly offer him her homework whenever he wanted. The Sunday wasn't over yet, he still had enough time to do them himself. He was just too lazy.

...how could he win anyway? That shouldn't have been possible!

To her surprise his answer came fast.

_'I'll buy you a spicy bread.'_

Mia couldn't help but laugh, the sound earning her a side glance of her father. It couldn't be that much better to go all the way to the cafeteria, fighting through the masses of students to buy a single bread. He should just start to do his homework for god's sake!

_'And why the bread.'_

She replied, remembering the break a few days ago where they had been in a situation which was slightly similar to this one. Strangely she could smile about it now even though back then she had been nervous to approach him like that.

_'It's bribery.'_

_Ah_, he did remember as well. Obviously he did. Or...at least she thought so, he could have forgotten it as well. Right? But he didn't. The orange-head frowned, scratching the back of her head as her mind started to hurt from all the thinking. It was no use to speculate over something like that...there was no reason to really care either.

"It's just funny..." Mia mumbled to herself.

As if she needed to justify her own thoughts in her own head...

She was losing her mind...wasn't she?

_'Make it two.'_

Her toes were pushing against another; her gaze was glued to the screen to see what the lazy giant would write next. There was always the possibility that he'd just ignore her, tell her she was being greedy or something else. It was hard to imagine seeing him sitting at home, just like her, with a mobile phone in his hand.

Although it felt easier to talk with him like this, she didn't have to fear the twist and turn his mood could take. No nasty glare could bore through her skull.

Her gaze snapped back towards the screen as her phone signaled the arrival of a new message, and rather curious she opened it by pressing a single button.

_'Fine.'_

Oh, that was easy.

Mia relaxed in her seat, easily ignoring the curious glances her father threw in her direction. He'd never stop pestering her about more information if she said her classmate, or friend, asked her to copy her homework. Again. Who appeared to be a guy. In exchange for bread...would this be her job for the next two years?

Well...it _would_ save her a lot of money...

Quickly the girl pushed a few buttons, forming reply which was just as short as his one.

_'Deal.'_

Satisfied, Mia put her phone aside. Once more joining her father in watching the show - to her dismay she had lost already a handful of jokes. The episode was coming to its end for today. With a sigh she stretched her legs out, the older man catching her feet this time with his hands as he pulled her towards him.

The girl yelped, the laughter of her father nothing but a thorn in her pride.

"Dad!"

He grinned at her in return, the wrinkles around his eyes increasing with the gesture.

"If you fail your exams you'll have to live in the garden."

"Wha- _Mum!_"

"Dear, don't disown our daughter - we already agreed that we'd sell her." Her mother called out of the kitchen, still busy to make herself a can of tea. Although that was Mia's last concern. It was horrible how easily her parents formed a team against her. No matter in which situation.

"_Thanks_..." The orange-head grumbled after her phone once more started ringing.

The screen blinded her for a second, she was forced to narrow her gaze in order to read the message - which _again_ came from no one else than the lazy basketball player.

_'Let me copy your exams as well.'_

Mia started to frown at her mobile phone.

...why didn't surprise her that at all?


	15. Day Twenty Nine

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**- review section removed after the story ended for better view -**_

Again this here is more interaction then fluff - but I want to watch the timeline properly as well. So you can look forward to a fluffy chapter tomorrow. I know you're dying as well to read some Karen.

Thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews! Bear with my slow pace, please.

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><p><em><strong>TWENTY NINE<strong>_

The past week went by in a blur. The nights had been filled with studying and trying to memorize as much as her brain could muster. Her mornings were filled with lack of energy and sleep as she dragged herself towards the school.

On Wednesday, Momoi Satsuki went out of her way to step into the last compartment of the train in the morning. Her lazy classmate was right behind her who looked just as tired as Mia felt; the girl still couldn't imagine him passing the exams easily - not with his attitude and endless demands to copy her homework instead of doing it on his own anyway.

The pink haired girl was rather optimistic on the other hand, confident that they all would do fine. If only Mia had such a bright view on life, then maybe she wouldn't feel like approaching her death sentence day after day.

Now, however.

After the whole week filled with agony was over, peace and happiness slowly returned to their class. It didn't matter what the results were, all of them could sleep again without worrying what the next day brought them. Although, Mia would lie if she said, she wasn't nervous as their homeroom teacher stepped into the class. His hands filled with many, many papers.

The orange-head bit her lip; the quiet snoring of Aomine at her side wasn't soothing. It was a miracle that he really found a way to fall asleep even though a single piece of paper could decide whether he had to take classes over summer break or not. Not to forget the possibility that he could be banned from his club activities.

The tension in their classroom rose as the older man started to hand out the documents, the whispers, shrieks and sighs of relief were coming from every corner. Mia couldn't help but crane her neck as the older man passed Nanami, she nearly stood up as she pushed herself upwards. It took a bit effort before she finally caught the familiar black hair in between the other heads and after a few seconds her friend turned around.

Her expression was as calm as ever, but her eyes weren't. The pale soft violet in her orbs twinkled in delight as she threw a thumbs-up into the air. Mia couldn't help but grin, gesturing a sign of victory with her right hand. All those hours and afternoons in the library weren't for nothing! Nanami had been able to pass English!

"Thank god." The orange-head breathed, falling back into her chair.

Now only her own misery awaited her...

"Nidori." The teacher said quietly in acknowledgment, putting her result on her table before his gaze landed on her neighbor.

"Aomine." He frowned, quickly forgetting the girl as he turned to the basketball player. "Aomine Daiki."

As fearless as ever the grown up rolled up a paper in his hand, hitting the blue haired teenager with such force that he awoke with a jump. Mia flinched at that, sliding quickly towards her right as she and Sakurai watched in fear what their classmate would do. Sure, the girl had made her way on his good side somehow, but damn, she was certain that he'd kill a teacher if he wanted to.

"The _hell_?" Aomine hissed, blinking away the sleep in his eyes. His frown deepened as he glared at their homeroom teacher, a man who now earned a lot of respect for his courage by the other students.

"You should sleep at home and not in my classes, _Aomine_." Grudgingly he handed the boy the rolled up paper, his eyes narrowing at the still stubborn grimace of the basketball player. "You barely passed."

He passed!?

Mia gaped open mouthed at her table neighbor who grumbled a few - certainly rude - words to himself as their teacher moved on, still busy to hand out the last few results in his hands. The tall teen rubbed the back of his head, his gaze scanning the words on the paper half-hearted while Mia barely registered her own result. She passed it anyway, with her average grades like always.

But _him_, how was it possible that _he_ made it!

"No way." She mumbled, her body leaning on its own accord towards him. "That's just not possible."

Aomine's eyes flickered towards her; he fell back into his chair as his lips formed a lopsided smug grin. "Surprised?"

"You never learn." Mia replied immediately. "Never - _how_ did you pass?"

"I didn't skip classes anymore." He drawled, one eyebrow rising. "Ya told me not to."

"I, I did...but..."

There was no way that this alone would help him. He slept nearly all the time, he didn't do his homework. Could it be that he actually could learn to some degree? No, her mind whispered, that was not even possible when hell froze over. Hell, even if the universe exploded - if there was one thing she had learned in her life then it was that this guy at her side was too lazy for his own good.

"Whatever." Mia breathed in the end.

Maybe there were things she just wasn't meant to understand in this world?

"...but if you can pass the exams then you should do your own homework as well..."

"_Aah?_" Aomine stretched out his legs, his feet bumping into Sakurai's chair as he fixated his whole attention on the girl next to him. Mia however quickly turned to face the blackboard in front of them instead; she maybe wasn't as scared of him anymore...but that didn't mean she wasn't afraid of losing her life anyway.

As the basketball player realized she wasn't going to answer he started to grin.

"Maybe if ya win in a basketball match against me."

At that comment Mia was forced to look at him again. Her dark eyes narrowing at the smug expression he suddenly wore. "Come on, that is impossible!"

Aomine shrugged with his broad shoulders. "Ain't my problem."

Scowling at her classmate, she crossed her arms, leaning onto her table for support. If only he could have stayed as quiet as he did the past week...it was strange how talkative he could be...even if that only consisted of rude remarks and excuses. Damn, stupid basketball player who was too good for his own good at the sport...

"I _could_ beat you if I practiced..." Mia argued weakly. "...maybe."

Never.

"Really?" The tall teenager drawled, the word ending in a weak chuckle.

If only the orange-head could stop her stubborn tongue! Instead of that the blush creeped into her face, her gaze holding up with his to not falter beneath the intimidate vibe he gave off. Why had she even tried to argue with him? It was a battle she had lost before it even started.

"...sure. Just...just need practice...I _made_ a shot last time."

Aomine really did laugh quietly as she mentioned that. The sound did nothing but make her face burn more. Just where was the damn ringing from the bell which signaled that the lesson was over? She could need that. Like, right now.

"I wanna see that." He replied.

"Yeah...me too." Mia agreed with a sigh.

And finally the bell had rung, saving her from further embarrassment.


	16. Day Thirty

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**- review section removed after story ended for better view -**_

I did try to write out a bit of Aomine's thoughts, still uncertain in that department so it's only light. But I hope you'll like it nevertheless! It's fluffy enough I hope, now after I've written it, I'm afraid it's not enough. Take these fluffy imagination things and feel fluffy.

Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews!

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><p><em><strong>DAY THIRTY<strong>_

Mia put the milk into the basket, staring intently at the list in her free hand. It wasn't like she loved to go shopping for food, but the ingredients promised the special chocolate cake, her mother always baked after she was able to pass her tests with good grades. It was a recipe her grandmother had given them years ago, right before they moved to Japan and to this day, the girl still hadn't found a better one.

She browsed the shelves in the supermarket for brown sugar, enjoying the cool air inside the building while the weather outside got warmer and warmer each day. Her own day had been nearly eventless, save for a single strange call from Momoi.

Mia couldn't help but wonder _how_ that girl always got hold of such information...first her landline number and now her mobile phone number - did she ask Aomine for it? Would that guy hand it over just like that? The orange-head furrowed her brow as she stared at the small package in her hand as if the sugar could offer an answer to all her questions.

_'Do you know where Aomine-kun is?'_

She had already left school, stopping by the diner with Nanami on her way back. And very second she stepped out of the train to walk home an unknown caller tried to reach her. It was obviously a surprise to hear the worried voice of the pink haired girl on the other side of the line.

_'Uh...no? No, I don't. Sorry.'_

Momoi immediately apologized for calling her out of the blue, adding a '_thanks_' before she hung up on her. It left the teenager speechless on the street, clinging to her mobile phone while her mind tried to come up with an explanation.

Maybe her lazy classmate _did_ finally murder someone?

And now his poor friend must get rid of the tracks while making sure the criminal was somewhere else - hidden from the police and innocent witnesses...it would make a good thriller movie for sure...maybe she should work in the entertainment branch with her imagination?

In the end, Mia's phone had received one more contact, whether she liked it or not. And the girl tried to ignore the strange event as her mother proposed the idea of baking the delicious cake if she volunteered to buy the needed things. She didn't need anything else to keep her mind occupied, so here she was, putting the sugar next to the milk as she continued to find the butter. It was not like his disappearance had anything to do with her; Momoi had surely found him by now for whatever she needed him for.

...what could it be?

Suddenly her mobile phone started ringing; the familiar sound which signaled the arrival of yet another message filled her ears. Mia didn't even know anymore who it could be from, the typical line of '_Mum_' and '_Nanami_' had been already broken by the blue haired basketball player and his lively friend who had somehow wormed her way into her life as well.

Slightly curious she stuffed the list into her pocket exchanging it with the small object she had to flip open. The screen met her, informing her of a new message which had been sent by a person called '_Aomine_'. What had she done now, she asked herself? They had no homework anymore; the last few days were more or less boring right before the break.

Quickly she pushed a few buttons, her dark eyes scanning the few words he had written.

_'I won.'_

He...won?

Oh, wait. Today was a match wasn't it? One of the few...or maybe the last one before the InterHigh officially started. She remembered faintly about the rules, how the tournament worked to determine which teams would move forward and which were forced to try again next year. Who were they playing against...? It was a High School not far away...Sharin High, was it? No, no...something else...but with an _'S'_ for sure.

Mia hesitated before she typed an answer - if anything it was a good thing if their basketball team won.

_'Congratulations.'_

Her feet were glued to the ground; her hand shifted the basket slightly to have a better grip on it. She didn't know why. But she _did_ expect an answer from him. Another snarky comment about how weak his opponents were; or how easy it had been to win. How he didn't need a '_congratulations_' from her.

But nothing came.

Mia frowned at her phone, still staring intently at the screen. Maybe she expected too much? It was still her classmate she was talking about. She bit her bottom lip, weighing her options in her head. Would it be strange to ask him if something was wrong? It was possible that he just didn't care...although he did go out of his way to text her about his victory. If he did that then he should be bragging a bit more about it.

"Why am I over thinking everything..." The orange haired girl mumbled, her thumb pressing a few buttons with sudden determination. "..._stupid_."

* * *

><p>"<strong>Aah?<strong>"

He could hear her breath first, a slightly startled sound which left her as she heard his sour tune. He could feel his face darken, the sweat still clinging to his skin while the air felt cold in contrast to his burning muscles.

"_Hey..._" Her voice sounded different over the phone was the first thing he noticed. Neither higher or deeper - just different. "_...is...something wrong?_"

Aomine closed his eyes, slightly shifting on the steps he sat on just outside the sports hall. His blood was still pumping loudly through his veins, the noise filling his ears and head as the sound of her calm breathing slowly made its way through all the turmoil inside of him. She was so calm. Strangely - while his mood swirled in between anger and aggression.

"I'm just, I'm just really pissed off." He hissed.

The blue haired teen pressed a hand against his forehead to ease the wrinkles away. Of course that didn't work though, he was too worked up to just relax. The memory was burning in his mind, appearing every time he dared to close his eyes. His temper felt like a way too short fuse, ready to lit up and activate a bomb.

"This damn' jerk talked bad about- _a_bout someone I know." Aomine finally opened his eyes and glared at his shoes. "...should've beaten the crap out of him."

The girl on the other line had become quiet, leaving him alone with his anger for a second. He could still feel the tension in his body, the disappointment the match had left in his bones. The way Satsuki had called after him like always before he had left the locker room, ready to snap someone's neck.

"_Was that someone he talked bad about...a friend?_"

Her soft voice made its way through the mist in his mind and he blinked away the harsh thoughts. He hadn't spared that topic his attention yet and now he didn't want to either. It was something which was in the past. And it should stay the hell there in his opinion. But that didn't mean he couldn't get pissed off at some member of the team who didn't even play on the court.

Who was he to bad-mouth Tetsu? That guy did nothing but sit on the bench.

_"...if yes..._" Mia's voice perked up again as he didn't reply. "_...then you should've punched him._"

For the first time, the grimace on his face eased away. A bit surprised he stared at his feet, his left hand brushing over his face to get rid of the sweat as his mind considered that it was nothing but a play of his imagination that he heard her say that. But it wasn't, he _knew_ that. The girl really did say that.

The burning heat in his veins cooled down as he started to laugh quietly. What else could he expect of the girl who sat next to him in class? Who dared to tackle him in a desperate attempt to get the ball back? His tense muscles finally relaxed with his laughter, the sound slowly dying down into a handful of chuckles.

He didn't even know he needed to hear just that until she said it.

Aomine sighed heavily, his left hand rubbing the back of his head while his narrow gaze slowly lifted towards the darkening sky above him.

"It was a good idea after all to text you, Nidori."

The basketball player listened closely; he could hear her breath hitch in her throat. The surprise at his statement was obvious, and if he closed his eyes he could imagine her face. She was definitely blushing again, he mused. She always became red whether she was nervous, embarrassed or startled. Every time he teased her out of boredom she'd definitely scowl at him while her face turned into a dark shade of red. It had actually become something he looked forward to, never ceasing to amuse him.

"_Of...of course it was._"

Her voice sounded sulky, a weak attempt at sounding arrogant. But Aomine started to grin to himself anyway. The wave of anger left his body slowly but surely, the longer he listened to her steady breathing and voice. The strange support she offered him lifted his spirits even after the match from today. The basketball player leaned back against the stone steps behind him, his elbows keeping his torso up as he continued to stare at the sky.

Strangely he couldn't wait for tomorrow where he could annoy her in school again.

"_Let's play basketball again sometime._"

Aomine took a deep breath through his nostrils, his eyes closing again.

"Yeah, let's do that."

The conversation obviously came to a mutual end but he didn't find the will to end the call. Instead he continued to sit right there, certain that soon Satsuki would find him after he had left the locker room as dramatic as he did. The girl was probably searching for him in the halls, worrying that he had tried to break something - which honestly he had in mind.

Although this here, talking with Mia, felt _a lot_ better and was less messy.

He could still hear her breathing. Mia was uncertain herself if she should now just hang up or not. But for him it was calming to just sit there, the sweat slowly drying thanks to the cool wind.

"Nidori."

After a few seconds she replied. "_...yeah?_"

Aomine found himself sighing, his upper body slowly falling back until he lay awkwardly on the steps. He was too lazy to move. "Say something."

"_Wha-? Like what?_" Mia asked confused.

The basketball player grumbled something quietly, his tongue clicking in slight annoyance. "Just something, _stupid_."

"_Well...summer break starts next week...so you won't have to copy my homework anymore._"

The teen couldn't help but breathe a light laugh; she had started to complain about that the most. Even though she always gave him her homework in the end in exchange for bread he bought at the cafeteria. He didn't even need to ask anymore, all he did was place the certain item on her table and with a sigh the needed homework was his. His marks could only profit from this.

"_And...your tournament is taking place, InterHigh, right?_"

"I guess..." He mumbled disinterested.

"_I bet I could win that with my basketball skills._" Mia said quickly after his tune had fallen.

Aomine could feel his lips form another grin, his body relaxing as the memory of her poor attempts to play basketball filled his head. For someone like him it had definitely looked silly. Though she didn't give up even as she had to face him, he had to give her that much. The basketball player could hear the sound of rushed steps somewhere behind him, Satsuki was about to find him and preach him because of his behavior. It looked like their call would come to an end.

"Sure." He replied quietly.


	17. Day Thirty Two

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**- review section removed after story ended -**_

The feedback was _amazing_, I'm really happy that you liked the previous chapter! This here is pretty short and more or less only the view on these two from another perspective. Nevertheless, I hope you'll like it.

Thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

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><p><em><strong>DAY THIRTY TWO<strong>_

"Where the hell is that damn jerk!?"

Wakamatsu's glare was directed at the rest of the club members who all more or less had been busy with practice the past hour. None of them had spared the absence of one of their team colleagues any heed until the blond basketball player pointed it out. It wasn't the first time it had happened anyway.

"We won the match two days ago, we can't slack now! Even that stupid, _arrogant_..." The second year continued nevertheless, his voice brooding with his annoyance. "...he's part of this damn team! He **has** **to** practice with us!"

"I'm sorry!" Sakurai cried out, hugging the basketball in his arms close to his chest. "I'm sorry for not bringing him along...I'm sorry for not being useful! So-"

"It's _enough_, Sakurai." Imayoshi started to say calmly while patting the shoulder of the nervous brunette. It was a weak attempt of the older one, because it only made Sakurai feel guiltier that the rather scary looking upperclassman tried to comfort him.

"I'm sorry..."

"Please stop that." The dark haired teen muttered beneath his breath. "And it doesn't matter whether Aomine is here or not. As long as we win, I don't really care."

"_I_ care! It's annoying as hell!" Wakamatsu interrupted them, his frown darkening. "Just because he is strong doesn't mean that he can do what he wants!" His voice rose as he kicked the ball next to him away out of frustration. "He should move his ass here just like the rest us and practice!"

"W-well..." Sakurai dared to speak up, blinking the tears in his eyes away. "...he d-does play..._sometimes_...with Nidori-san..."

"_Who?_" The blond haired student approached the nervous boy, staring him down with a burning gaze. He didn't hear anything about a person with such a name before who had found a way to make that lazy team member of his touch a basketball. It sounded like a lie. Although _if_ someone was incapable of lying - then it was the poor brown haired boy in front of him.

"I'm sorry." Sakurai immediately whimpered, bowing his head. "Aomine-kun plays sometimes with Nidori-san after school, I, I only heard them talking about it in class- I'm so sorry for eavesdropping!"

Imayoshi blinked slightly surprised at that information although he did faintly remember the few times their ace did appear to practice - only to disappear with a basketball and one of his magazines again - but who would have known that he was at least doing something useful in his free time.

"No way, I don't believe that." Wakamatsu grumbled, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "There's _no way_ that lazy ass is playing basketball after he's always spouting some crap about being the best."

"What does it matter? Let's just continue-" Their captain tried to offer an end to their discussion but he was quickly interrupted by the blond teen whose nerves were still on edge, his mood becoming worse thanks to the nonchalant treatment concerning Aomine's skipping. Wakamatsu threw his hands into the air, gritting his teeth.

"I won't believe it 'till I saw that jerk! Sakurai, is he playing today as well?"

The nervous boy jumped. "I-I think he is, I mean yes. I mean, I'm sorry for not saying it earlier!"

"Then let's check it out!"

"But..."

"Shut up and tell me where they are."

Imayoshi found himself sighing, pushing his hands into his hips as he stared at his underclassmen. The blond haired guy was surely a good player, only his temper was something he hated to deal with. And Sakurai always found a way to annoy him even though he didn't mean to do that, of course. But the two of them together were certainly a thing he couldn't handle at the same time.

In defeat he lifted his hands into the air, his glasses slipping slightly from his nose. He had no choice but to comply, Wakamatsu was too stubborn to just forget it and continue practicing anyway.

* * *

><p>"No way..."<p>

It was easy to see that none of them could believe their eyes. They didn't dare to step closer; their spot behind the fence and bushes was too good to leave anyway. But it didn't lessen their view on the playground of the park. Imayoshi had to take his glasses off, rubbing them against his shirt to make sure he wasn't just seeing an illusion.

However.

It was reality.

Their stubborn and rude ace was standing on a basketball playground, his hands loosing his tie which hung around his neck as his eyes followed a certain orange-head. Sakurai didn't look as terrified as his team member, Wakamatsu. But they all watched in silence as the girl dribbled the ball awkwardly in front of her before she threw it towards the hoop.

It bounced onto the metal ring, quickly flying out of its reach.

"Damn it!" She called out; her voice faintly reached their ears as she quickly rushed after the orange orb.

Her figure only came to a halt as Aomine gestured something with his hands, none of the fellow club members could see his expression from the distance, but it was a miracle for any of them that he was actually talking with a girl who was not their manager. No one had ever seen him interact with another female student besides Momoi - well, maybe his magazines...although none of them wanted to mention them.

"_That's_ Nidori?" The blond teen whispered doubtfully and Sakurai nodded in between the taller guys.

"Y-yes..."

Their gazes returned to the unbelievable scene in front of them. The blue haired basketball player had now reached the side of the girl, lifting her elbows as he pointed towards the hoop. It didn't look right to see Aomine like this; Wakamatsu remembered the last time that jerk had dared to knee him in his stomach, leaving him in pain behind. To him this scene didn't look right at all. Even more as the orange haired girl turned away from him, voicing something which didn't seem to face the tall teenager at her side.

"It must be blackmail." Wakamatsu concluded. "Or an illusion, it can't be freakin' real."

"But it is..." Sakurai mumbled, feeling the need to defend his classmate. Mia had always been one of the few he got along with since the start of semester, even though they hadn't talked that much yet.

"It's interesting." Imayoshi commented smiling. "Definitely interesting..."

The brown haired boy paled at his impish grin, his captain had always been rather intimidating whether he had wanted to look like it or not. Whenever the tall teen smiled it was a reason for the nervous boy to run and hide. Right now, it felt like he had done something terribly wrong by telling his comrades about Mia as well; his bottom lip trembled as he tried to shrink in size.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled to no one in particular.

Their attention was drawn back towards the two in front of them. The girl had finally made a shot, cheering loudly as she threw her hands into the air. She jumped on her feet in excitement, her skirt and sweater bouncing with the movement as she turned towards the blue haired basketball player.

It was easy to see that they were talking, their hands gesturing ever so slightly. Whatever they were saying ended with Aomine patting her head forcefully, loosening the hair strands out of the hairclip Mia wore on the back of her head. They couldn't see her scowling at Aomine's snarky comment, her face flushing like always as she tried to push his hand bravely away.

They were still oblivious to the doubtful audience they had.


	18. Day Thirty Six

Jeez, I'm pretty late this time! Sorry about that, I had a 12-hour-shift at work, I was busy the whole day. My feet hurt, haha.

Big thanks to...

_**- review section removed after story ended -**_

Forgive me, this chapter is short and I'm tired - it's 3 am here in Germany right now. I returned from work not long ago and I want to sleep, haha. But I couldn't _not_ update! Sorry for spelling mistakes and stuff!

Thank you for all the lovely follows, favorites and reviews!

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><p><em><strong>THIRTY SIX<strong>_

The sound of swords clashing against another filled Mia's room as she and Nanami lay sprawled across her bed. The black haired girl stared at the television in front of them, the controller in her hands moving with every button she pressed - as if the light movement would help her win against the enemy they were facing.

Mia squirmed around, her tank top felt suddenly way too heavy. The heat had been getting worse; the last few days were filled with sunshine and temperatures which were enough to boil an egg if you'd forget it outside. She was probably exaggerating but the warmth came so quickly that her body had no time to adjust to it.

"My parents said we're going to visit my grandparents next week." Nanami started to say, her eyes still glued to the screen. "We should definitely meet afterwards then."

The orange haired girl nodded, watching the figure on the television move and turn with eagerness. They had finally beaten the damn level from last time and were now on their way to the boss of the first half of the game. Nanami had always been better at those. And because today was the first official day of their summer break, they decided it was time to finally beat the video game they had bought an eternity ago.

"Yeah." The girl agreed afterwards, uncertain if her friend had even seen her nod.

"What should we do then?" Nanami asked absent-minded. "The beach? Cinema? I'm not a fan of karaoke, though."

Mia mused over the options they had, she didn't really like Karaoke as well. Mainly because she wasn't a good singer and she tended to start to glow like a fireball whenever she was nervous or embarrassed - which happened often. Karaoke was like a suicide mission in her case. The orange-head rolled onto her stomach, watching her friend continue to play before she started to speak again.

"...we could play some basketball."

Nanami paused the video game, her calm face turning towards her. "You've become pretty interested in basketball lately, huh?"

The girl beside her could feel the familiar heat crawling beneath her skin, reaching for her ears and cheeks as she tried to avoid the heavy gaze of her friend. "It's just fun. Really."

Nanami quirked a brow, her doubt obvious even though her face always remained strangely calm - it was a sight Mia had gotten used to long ago. However, the moment her friend looked back at the screen in front of them, even she could see the light curve of her lips. It was a light, teasing smile.

"Uh-huh."

The orange haired girl scowled at her, knowing what thoughts filled her head.

"Shut up."

"Anyway." Nanami murmured, swiftly changing the topic before they could start a heavy discussion. It was too hot for such things. "I can't wait for the barbeque. It smells great."

At ease that they attention returned to their game, the noises of battles and music filling their ears once again, Mia nodded. The scent found a way into her room through the open window, the sound of fire crackling quietly while meat came in contact with burning metal found a way into their hearing senses. Probably because hunger already tickled their guts.

"Yeah...dad always grills on the first day of summer break."

"You're father is _huge_." Nanami deadpanned, her eyes narrowing at an enemy who dared to attack her in the game.

Mia on the other hand started laughing. "Yeah, he is."

A comfortable silence engulfed them as they continued playing their video game. They took turns whenever one of them died or just didn't want to face a certain part or riddle. It was a routine the two girls had created after they had become friends. Because they didn't share many hobbies, they had struggled to find something they both liked. Surprisingly they had a mutual interest for games which soon led to many other small things they loved to share with another.

Now it was hard to imagine spending their free time without the other. Mia cursed the animated monster on the screen which had killed her, handing the controller over to her friend as her mobile phone started ringing.

Quickly the teen got up, approaching her desk to fetch the small dark device. It didn't take her long to realize who the caller was, the display clearly stated that it was _'Momoi Satsuki'_. Slightly confused, Mia mouthed a '_sorry_' to the black haired girl, flicking her phone open to accept the call.

"Momoi-san?"

_"Excuse me for disturbing your afternoon, Nidori-san."_

Well that certainly didn't sound like Momoi. Not even like a girl. It was the voice of a guy. Puzzled she glanced at her phone, making sure that she had indeed received the call from Momoi's phone and not someone else's. But there was no mistake...maybe the pink haired girl turned into a man? And now she called her out of panic because she didn't know what to do? It sounded a lot like a manga she had read not long ago; the plot had been filled with weird and crazy events.

"Uh..." Was the first thing Mia was able to utter after her thoughts took a strange turn.

_"My name is Imayoshi Shoichi, I apologize for the sudden call - I'm the captain of the basketball team."_

Oh, _okay_. Her mind whispered slowly, even though that introduction only created more questions than it answered. She had no idea who the captain of their school's basketball team had been up until now and she couldn't really see why she should know it now. Her gaze slowly found Nanami's as her friend had stopped playing, both of them waiting patiently for an explanation of some sort.

"Nice to meet you?" Mia tried carefully until suddenly she could hear the familiar pitch of Momoi's voice in the background. Whether it was a good or bad sign was still unclear.

_"Same here. I heard from Momoi that you started to like basketball, we're practicing tomorrow - maybe you'd like to come as well?"_

The orange-head didn't know what it was, but the deep voice on the other line sounded strange. It was hard to point out what it was, but the call itself wasn't really normal either. Maybe she only thought like that because she had rarely talked with a boy around her age on the phone before? Aomine had sounded so weird as well. The slight static, the change in tune. The closeness to her ear.

_"It would be great to see you, Nidori-san!"_ This time it was definitely Momoi's voice which called out, there was slight rustling on the other line as well. Probably caused by the bubbly girl herself.

Confused Mia still stared at Nanami, shrugging with her shoulders to signal her friend that she wasn't entirely sure what was going on. Secretly she mouthed what was happening; the lilac colored gaze of the black haired girl was staring at her lips to make out what she was saying. It took her a few seconds before she whispered in return.

"Don't know - we could go together?"

Satisfied, the orange haired girl aimed her attention back to her phone. "Can my friend come along as well?"

_"Of course. How about around noon then? We're allowed to use the school's gym."_

"Uh, okay."

_"See you, Nidori-san!"_

Momoi's voice was the last thing Mia heard as Imayoshi ended their call. Slightly baffled she still stood there, right in front of her desk. The small device in her hand felt suddenly heavy as the girl bit her bottom lip in thought. How come all this was happening right now? It wasn't like she minded playing basketball and seeing Momoi wasn't bad either. But why would the basketball club offer her that?

Well, maybe Momoi asked them...that sounded a lot like her.

"...why does it feel like my life only gets weirder and weirder?"

"Dimension paradox." Nanami explained seriously.

"_Nanami_..." The orange-head drawled, her forehead set in wrinkles.

"Just saying." Her friend replied nonchalant.

"Well..._maybe_ you're right."

"Of course I am."

Mia couldn't help but smile at the other girl.


	19. Day Thirty Seven

Another day, another belated chapter. Sorry about that.

Big thanks to...

_**- review section removed after story ended -**_

Phew, I thought I'd finally get a break but my coming days are filled with stuff. I hope the next chapter won't be updated this late. I struggled a bit this chapter...I don't know if I'll edit it or not - but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.

Once more thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews!

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><p><em><strong>DAY THIRTY SEVEN<strong>_

Mia never believed she'd step onto the school ground like this. She didn't wear her school uniform, it was break and the campus was empty. No student would visit the building voluntary although she guessed that people who had clubs did do that. Or lived in a dorm here. She wouldn't know that, the girl wasn't part of any club in school and she still lived at home.

Nanami tied her long hair into a ponytail as both of them approached the gym of Tōō Academy. It was a great relief that her friend had offered to come along as well - who knew how the members of the club would be like? She barely knew Sakurai, the nervous brown haired boy from her class. However, she had to confess that she was curious indeed.

"Maybe I'll finally see why you're suddenly so into basketball." Her friend said.

Mia glanced at her while their goal slowly came into sight.

"You will, it _is_ fun. Really."

The taller girl beside her, returned her look ever so calmly before she shrugged with her shoulders. But the orange-head was optimistic about the whole situation. Or at least the part where she'd show Nanami how to play the game, it was fun. Even if you weren't as good at it as the team who played it on daily basis, the only thing which could ruin it was the summer heat.

Right before the closed entrance of the gym, they stopped for a moment to exchange their sandals for a pair of sneakers. Even though the school was closed, it didn't mean they could just forget about its rules and regulations. And to play a sport in sandals wasn't really a good idea to begin with.

Carefully the orange haired girl pushed the door open, sticking her head through the gap as the sound of voices, squeaking shoes and bouncing basketballs filled the air. There were a handful of people, although much less than she expected. Probably only the team was training for an upcoming match, the rest of the basketball club chose to enjoy their well earned break instead.

She was about to announce her arrival as a certain person noticed them. Momoi's face brightened and quickly she turned around to them, the clipboard in her hands nearly slipped out of her grasp as she rushed towards the entrance.

"Nidori-san you came!"

Slightly startled Mia pulled the door closer, ready to slip back outside but after she saw the broad smile on the face of the pink haired girl she found herself smiling shyly in return.

"Yeah..." She breathed, pushing the door open to reveal herself and her friend. "Good to see you Momoi-san."

"Oh you can call me Satsuki! Can I call you Mia-chan as well? I never asked, did I?"

Momoi quickly ushered them inside, going on and on about how happy she was that they could make it. Never leaving enough room for a reply. The dribbling slowly came to a halt as the three girls stood there, mostly still listening to the club's manager who couldn't find a stop to the waterfall of words which slipped out of her. She only came to a sudden halt as someone appeared behind her, one of the few other students.

"Nidori-san. I'm glad you came."

Mia's eyes lifted towards the visitor, a basketball player who was taller than them - although that shouldn't surprise her anymore, she guessed. His grey eyes nearly disappeared behind the pair of glasses he wore, although his smile was still present nevertheless. He looked like he had been running around enough for a day.

"Oh...Ima...Imayoshi-san, right?"

The dark haired teen nodded, his hands on his hips as his lips formed an impish smile. "We're right now doing a few practice shots, you two want to try as well?"

Quickly the orange-head turned towards her friend who carelessly shrugged with her shoulders. She still wasn't as thrilled as her but Mia was confident it would change quickly. She had lost all the time against Aomine when they had played after school, but it still was really fun, she thought. And if the tall teenager couldn't destroy her enthusiasm yet with his unbelievable skills then she surely wouldn't lose it now.

Imayoshi guided them towards the hoop on the other side; passing two other teens who were busy themselves playing against each other. Although they surely glanced curiously towards their guests, they couldn't be first years, her mind hushed. She had never seen them before in their building or at the entrance ceremony, maybe they were second or third years? Imayoshi was older than her for sure as well.

The dark haired basketball player greeted Sakurai who stood in front of the hoop, offering him a smile which made the nervous boy lift the basketball in his hands slowly. A shield from whatever scared him, that much was obvious. But the brunette was apparently scared of so many things it was hard to find something which didn't make him uncomfortable.

"Sakurai can surely help you, I need to discuss something right now, please excuse me." Imayoshi pushed the glasses against his face before he walked off to who knew where.

The girls watched his form retreating, feeling a bit odd for intruding their practice just like this. Nanami crossed her arms in front of her chest, tugging on her bracelet thoughtfully as she leaned towards Mia.

"He's weird."

"Pretty weird." The girl agreed immediately.

"Uh...Nidori-san? Amori-san?" Sakurai asked carefully as the guests were busy to discuss whether or not this person was better suited as the shady friend of Aomine. Maybe Momoi wasn't the drug dealer, it _could_ be him? There was just something off about the older student and his unwavering expression.

"Sorry, Sakurai-san." Mia mumbled in the end, offering her classmate her full attention. "It's funny to see each other on a day off, right?"

The shy basketball player finally smiled and nodded, it was rare for him to not frown at someone in fear he could have insulted anyone with anything he did. It was a relief that his mood seemed to be actually rather bright in contrast to the few times they had talked in the past.

"Do we just play then?" The black haired girl next to her wondered which caught the eyes of the club member.

"I, I could give you two a basketball as well. It's easier then, right?" Sakurai offered carefully.

"That'd be great."

* * *

><p>If anything ever discouraged Mia, then it was that her dear friend got the hang out of it a lot faster than she did. It was a surprise alone that Sakurai really was a good player, he maybe didn't look like it but he was able to make one shot after another. He shied away when the girls pointed it out; too self-conscious to accept the compliments but it didn't change the fact that he <em>really<em> was good.

Nanami, however, quickly understood the certain need of strength and aim which was needed to make a shot. The orange haired girl could complain and curse while her friend would barely quirk an eyebrow at the sight of the point she had made. Only as she looked Mia right in the eye she'd dare to smile slightly.

"It isn't too bad." She commented, picking up the ball which rolled against her feet.

"Oh, shut it. I can _feel_ your ego grow over my head."

Nanami did laugh at that, only short and quiet because she never had been a loud person before. But it was enough to make the orange-head scowl at her more, her grimace trying to fight off the smile as well which was trying to crawl onto her lips. She knew her friend would have fun, but it was satisfying to actually see her enjoying herself. Next week she'd have to survive without her while Nanami was visiting her grandparents, so it was nice to have now fun while they could.

Sakurai was still rather quiet, apologizing sometimes when one of them missed the hoop entirely. Why he did that, no one knew. But it was hard to make him stop. Imayoshi finally returned after a while, keen on joining their...well, Mia called it free style basketball. It was more or less dribbling, running around while spouting nonsense. But with the captain, the other two basketball players she had seen before, came as well.

Wakamatsu, she reminded herself as she passed the ball to him. The blond one was called Wakamatsu while the other was named Yoshinori. She'd probably forget it soon enough, the upperclassmen tended to talk more with each other than with them but it was nothing she minded because honestly, Mia didn't need to talk with so many people at the same time. She didn't know them and invaded their practice. Well, _yes_. She was invited, but nevertheless, who knew if the others really agreed to that?

Momoi eagerly caught the ball Nanami threw towards her, somewhere in between she had joined their rather silly game as the entrance door was pushed open once more. Surprised the pink haired girl turned towards it, the other heads of the students following her example with ease.

"Aomine-kun!" Momoi called out, staring at the tall teenager whose expression told of horrifying tales.

Even from the distance it was easy to see that he didn't appear to be in a good mood, nothing new, but it was still a sight someone could go without with. Imayoshi grinned at the new arrival, choosing to slowly approach the blue haired basketball player as he lifted one hand in greeting.

"Aomine, I'm glad you could make it to practice after all."

"The fuck are you talking about." Aomine hissed in return, his frown aimed at his captain.

"No need for the hostility."

"I don't know why but, _hell_ - what are you trying to pull here?" Aomine lifted his hand, showing something which could be a mobile phone to the other teenager. Their voices were barely loud enough for the others to hear them but Mia and Nanami exchanged a look of confusion if not caution anyway.

"I only informed you, what else?" Imayoshi replied calmly, shrugging with his shoulders. "I thought that _maybe_ you would want to practice with us today?"

Aomine's gaze flickered into their direction for a second before the glare returned to his dark haired upperclassman. If they said anything else, the others couldn't hear it. They all only stood there, glued to the ground while watching the two basketball players arguing. Suddenly though, Aomine chose to stuff his phone back into his cargo pants sneering at Imayoshi in an impolite fashion.

"You wanna play? _Tch_. You're not worth my time." Her tall classmate brushed past the third-year.

"Oh? But you came anyway?"

Her table neighbor approached them, ripping the basketball out of Momoi's hands as his gaze wandered from one face to another. "What a pain..." He grumbled quietly to himself while he weighed the orange ball in his right hand. Mia furrowed her brow, puzzled by his sudden arrival and sour mood but as their eyes finally met his expression froze.

"Nidori, what're doing here."

"Wha-? Well...Imayoshi-san invited me...?" She replied perplexed.

His nasty glare was aimed once more at his captain who still seemed rather pleased with the outcome of the situation. Momoi quickly chose to step into the space between the teenagers. Successfully creating a wall.

"I thought it was a great idea, Aomine-kun! I wanted to see Mia-chan as well."

"Why do always have to be so nosy, Satsuki?"

"I'm _not_ nosy! You're just rude." Momoi huffed. "You didn't want to go to practice in the first place!"

The blue haired guy scoffed at her argument. The rather scary look in his eyes slowly disappearing as his usual annoyed expression took its place instead. That was the only relief to be honest. For Mia and Nanami the whole situation became suddenly complicated and unsettling. Neither of them knew what had gone wrong, Wakamatsu however, seemed to know what was to do.

"Just shut up and practice with us, Aomine."

Well.

Or maybe not.

"I told you already, didn't I? Beat me first."

The blond shook his fist at his teammate, gritting his teeth. "That doesn't matter! You should just practice with us!"

"I don't wanna."

"You _damn_-"

"-_come_ on, guys. Calm down." Imayoshi muttered beneath his breath. He waved his arms slightly around to signal the two teenagers to leave the topic be. Wakamatsu already looked like he was ready to rush into a fight while Aomine only looked annoyed by his never ending antics.

"Can't we just play?" Nanami deadpanned.

Mia stared at her surprised; she hadn't been able to bring out a word. The black haired girl, on the other hand, merely lifted an eyebrow as she glanced at the little group in front of her. It was horrifying how brave she could be. Or maybe only how amazing her poker face was.

"Yeah." Momoi quickly agreed. "How about _we_ play and _you_ practice all you want? We can go outside."

As if she had already decided it, she quickly left to pick up a ball. Imayoshi followed her figure with his gaze as the pink haired girl walked towards the exit, urging the girls to do the same thing. Nanami shrugged with her shoulders, following the female student while Mia still stood a little overwhelmed by the turn of events on the spot. What exactly had happened right now?

"Nidori."

Her body finally reacted as Aomine called her name. Her classmate had already pushed her forward with his hand, forcing her to move as his familiar expressionless face stared straight ahead. The girl had known that he wasn't really a social butterfly, but it was puzzling how difficult the relationship between the basketball team members appeared to be...

"I thought you always skipped practice?" Mia finally asked him on their way outside.

"Shut up." He drawled. Although the sound of his voice suggested a lot less hostility than it did before. Thank god. The orange-head became quiet just like him; it took the basketball player a few seconds before he suddenly asked her something else.

"How did that guy invite you?"

"You mean Imayoshi-san?" Mia wondered quietly as they stepped out of the gym. "He called me with Momo-...uh, Satsuki-san's phone."

"Aah..." His blue eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why don't you just practice with them?" She asked him carefully while her gaze searched for the two girls.

"I don't need it."

"_Yeah_, but...it wouldn't hurt to practice sometimes...right?"

Finally he looked at her, his heavy gaze colliding with hers.

"I play with you sometimes."

Mia opened her mouth to retort that it surely wasn't helping him any way. She wasn't nearly as good as the other guys who were still in the gym, hell; a five-year-old could surely beat her without even trying. Even Nanami had grasped the sport faster than she did. But maybe she should take that as some kind of compliment instead of denying it. She didn't want his mood to darken again, not after the grimace from before had finally slipped off his face.

"Imayoshi-san is weird." She replied instead to change the topic.

For the first time since Aomine arrived he started to grin slightly. He snickered at her comment, his shoulders relaxing as they continued to walk into the direction the voices of the other two came from.

"He's a creep, stay away from him."

Mia's face scrunched up in distrust, it was hard to believe that he was able to say something like that about his own captain. But the dark teen was hard-headed. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his cargo pants, his gaze still locked with hers as he nodded.

"I'm serious...and if you wanna play basketball just message me."

His eyes finally moved away, it felt like as if he was trying to look anywhere but her. Something the girl actually welcomed because even though she maybe got used to it partly, his gaze still felt heavy with the intimidating atmosphere he carried around him.

Mia clasped her hands behind her back together, slightly smiling at the thought of playing with him in the park again. It was fun, her mind reminded her. Strangely. She had nothing against Sakurai or the others, really they were nice and everything. But she couldn't help but think that she did enjoy it more when she played with her table neighbor.

"Okay."


	20. Day Fourty

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**- review section removed after story ended - **_

Oh my gosh, sorry for the rant! I just love to reply and answer questions! If it's too much text, tell me and I'll move it beneath the story or reply in PMs! I'm just really happy that you like the story and I want to thank you guys for all the follows, favorites and reviews.

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><p><em><strong>DAY FOURTY<strong>_

"Oh man..."

She stared at her mobile phone, lying across her bed as the summer heat crawled upon her skin. Three days had passed since they had played at the gym; Nanami couldn't visit her anymore since her parents had started packing their stuff. Her dear friend would stay two weeks in the country where her grandparents lived. Which meant she was left all alone till she returned...

The girl grumbled to herself, her mind had been debating with her inner voice since an hour if she should text Aomine instead. She didn't know what to do, her father was still working and her mother wasn't really someone who would play video games with her...maybe she should call Momoi - or better said Satsuki instead? The pink haired girl had been so thrilled as she had agreed that they could call each other by their first names.

But even though the bubbly student was nice and easy to talk to, she didn't really know her as good as her classmate for example. He had offered it anyway. Mia was certain by now that they really were friends...but somehow it still felt weird to ask him. It was strange, wasn't it? It had to be, because she was ready to pull her hair out by now out of frustration.

Finally the orange-head huffed, pressing one button after another. She acted like a stupid child; it wasn't like the tall teenager would rip her head off. Maybe he was too busy anyway, then he would just say '_no_' and she would be able to search for something else to do.

_'Are you free today?'_

That was everything she was able to write before she quickly pressed the button to send it away. Quietly she stared at the display, waiting for a miracle to happen. But one minute slowly turned into three minutes. The time passed and her mobile phone stayed silent. _See_, her mind hushed, _he was busy_. Maybe she should go to the convenience store and buy some snacks. Or she could bug her mother until her father returned and the three of them could watch a movie together?

Mia closed her eyes, too lazy to move a single muscle as the warm air filled her room. She could try to just sleep the whole day as well. It was weird to have so much free time on her hands. Could someone ever get enough of doing nothing at all? The girl was afraid she could.

But as her phone suddenly started humming a familiar short melody, she sat up startled. Surprised and slightly eager she grabbed the small device, flicking it open to make sure who exactly had sent her message. And with a little delight, she tried to deny, she read the very name of her classmate on the screen.

_'Yeah.'_

His reply was so short but it was a great relief nonetheless that he didn't turn her down right away. Mia tucked a few strands of hair, which bothered her, behind her left ear, her fingers busy to type a message in return.

_'Want to __hang out__-'_

No. No that sounded weird. The girl deleted the last two words, biting her tongue as she furrowed her brow. They were maybe friends but they surely weren't _that_ good friends...it sounded strange to suddenly ask him to hang out. Well, at least in her head it did. She should word it better...

_'Want to play basketball?'_

Yeah, that was better. Definitely...maybe...she didn't know anymore. Mia couldn't help but sigh, she didn't have many male friends and in middle school she rarely met one of them alone. They mostly met in groups and there it was a lot easier to ask the other if he wanted to meet up with the others. With the basketball player it was just hard to imagine.

To her surprise his answer came a lot faster than before, it only took the basketball player a minute or two.

_'At the park in an hour.'_

Absent-minded the orange-head reached for her hair, she rarely wore it open because she always used the hair clip to keep the shoulder-length hair at bay. In the morning, it always chose to stick out in every direction, making it hard for the teenager to make it look presentable. She probably should just tie it up if she wanted to make it on time.

_'Okay.'_

Finally Mia stood up quickly reaching for the brush on her desk.

"Mum, I'm going out!"

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><p>She should've probably expected it. The playground they had used before was occupied by other people now. A large group of teenagers played against each other, passing the ball from one to another while their voices clashed against each other. She sat on the same bench they had waited on before. She still remembered the rainy day as she watched the strangers play.<p>

Their movement wasn't as swift as Aomine's she noted without even trying. Her classmate always seemed to fly over the ground, easily reaching the hoop whenever he had the ball. The teens, on the other hand, moved roughly from one point to another, stopping their feet whenever they tried to pass to their comrades.

They wouldn't be able to play, she guessed. But what else should they do?

With a sigh she leaned back, using her hands to support her upper body. Now where she thought about it, he was late as well. She didn't mind waiting; she often did that for Nanami if she still had club activities while they wanted to go somewhere afterwards. But she felt a bit silly for hurrying to get here on time. Half-hearted she pushed a few hair strands out of her face, checking the ponytail she had tied at home.

"Nidori."

Her gaze quickly moved to her side where the certain blue haired guy had finally appeared. Mia grabbed her bag, standing up to meet him as his eyes roamed the playground in front of them. She could already see the frown on his face as he studied the group of people, the basketball he had brought with him spinning on his forefinger.

"Already taken, eh?"

"Yeah..." Slowly she turned towards the yelling strangers, her forehead set in wrinkles. "...didn't know basketball is so popular."

Aomine leaned onto his left leg, probably thinking just like she did, about what else they could do now. It would be weird to suddenly call it off and go home just because they couldn't play. But the girl had no idea where else a court could be which they were able to use. Mia scratched her cheek, carefully glancing up at her classmate whose stoic expression still faced the teenagers.

"I don't know - should we get something to drink? Or maybe ice cream? I feel like I'm dying here."

He finally looked at her, the ball stopped spinning as he held onto it with both of his hands.

"I know a place."

The orange-head offered him her bag to put the basketball away for now. The taller one of them easily led them away from the court and park, turning into a street which definitely brought them closer to the shopping centre of the district. Mia quietly followed her classmate, glimpsing at his broad back. It was funny that she actually got slowly used to see him in casual clothing rather than his uniform, although all he really wore were cargo pants and short-sleeved shirts. No wonder, the summer heat would burn anything else.

The pavement got slowly livelier as they reached the shopping district, children and adults were busy themselves to get their things done. Some merely hurried to the game arcade at the end of the street while some forced themselves to go to the supermarket. Mia's dark eyes flew from one shop to another; slightly curious whatever place he had talked about, but in front of a simple convenience store, he came to a halt.

"Wait a second."

"Okay?"

Aomine brushed past her, stepping into the store to their right. A bit perplexed she watched his figure from outside through the glass windows; she hadn't expected him to merely visit a convenience store but he moved towards a corner with confidence. Obviously a regular customer.

With a light huff, she leaned against the railing which separated the sidewalk from the street. Her gaze wandered from one stranger to another before she settled back to watching the blue haired basketball player through the glass. It was a bit funny how easily he towered over a handful of people, even the cashier who he talked with swiftly as he arrived at the counter.

He emerged from the store with something in his hands, a small object which was wrapped in plastic. Curiously Mia pushed herself away from the railing, accepting the treat as she scanned the broad letters on the package.

"_Wah_, I hadn't had one of those since forever..." She breathed, a laugh tugging at her words.

"One of the few stores which still sells them." Aomine replied, easily opening the bag to eat the popsicle inside. "I always came here in middle school."

Mia followed his example and threw the trash in a bin, biting into the icy blue treat. The taste was still the same she remembered, fresh and minty while still being sweet. The most important thing though was that it was cold. A little life savior in the beating summer heat. Aomine started walking again and this time the girl easily fell into step with him as they moved on.

"I owe you money again." She said in between a bite, licking the side of ice to make sure it wouldn't melt onto her hand.

"Just buy the ice next time." He grumbled in return, quirking an eyebrow. "A popsicle won't kill me."

"Sounds like a deal." Mia hummed. "Was your school around here if you always went to that store?"

The teenager at her side hesitated for a second. The ice started to melt right away in the beating sun, but as he noticed it, he quickly bit off a bigger piece. The orange-head blinked at him in silence, not understanding why he wasn't replying right away. However, Aomine started to speak after he gulped down the sweet coolness, giving her no chance to maybe reconsider her question.

"Teikō Junior High."

"Oh, I heard of it - it was a pretty tough one, right?"

Her classmate shrugged with his shoulders carelessly, for a middle school which was known for their strong basketball club in connection with his natural talent for the sport...the girl could imagine that for him it was easy. At least in the physical education department. She, on the other hand, had attended an average one back then, what had counted the most was that it was close to her home.

"It was fine, I guess."

His voice fell, his face slightly grimacing as he seemed to remember something he didn't want to. Afraid that it was her fault for ruining the perfectly peaceful atmosphere, the girl hurried to find something distracting in their surroundings. It was as if the world finally decided to help her as they walked past a few placards.

"Oh, the movie is finally getting released next week."

Her words caught Aomine's attention as his gaze slowly searched for whatever she had meant. Both teenagers came to a halt on the sidewalk, staring at the broad paper which had been glued to the wall of a tall building. It was the picture of a pair of animated characters, the letters bold and thick across the surface spoke of another great movie for young and old. Mia had always been a fan of Dream World.

"_Aah?_" The blue haired teen next to her furrowed his brow, his face slowly turning back into the typical bored expression. "That's for kids."

"It's for everyone." Mia argued, pointing at the placard. "It's even written there!"

Aomine's eyes flickered towards her, the corners of his lips pulling into a small smirk. At least his bad mood was forgotten, she thought to herself. Although she could have went without his stupid grin, right when they had established a good conversation, he found one more reason to make fun of her. But the girl couldn't help herself, she liked those family movies...her father watched them with her all the time.

"Never thought you were into kids stuff." He commented smugly.

Mia's face turned slightly red as she tried to shove him. But, of course, the tall teenager barely budged, he more or less laughed at her weak attempt, balancing the melting popsicle in his one hand to make sure nothing dripped onto his clothes. Mia scowled at him, cursing the lack of her strength as she bit into her own ice. An action she regretted a second later - the coldness burned in her mouth.

"I like it." She argued weakly around the piece of ice in her mouth. "I wanna see it as well."

To escape his judging glare, she chose to stare at the placard in front of them once more. Silently hoping that the blush would soon leave her face, because she _really_ didn't need that right now. Aomine had enough to go on and on already even without her red face. To her surprise though, her classmate was quiet for a second, his other hand stuffed into his pocket as he examined the promotion for the animation movie quietly.

"...maybe it ain't as bad as it looks."

Finding enough courage, to at least glimpse at his profile from the corner of her eyes, she tried to make out if he meant it for real. The harsh wrinkles on his forehead had softened, the deep blue orbs were busy reading the title and subtitles on the paper as Mia finally came to the conclusion that he spared her from any mockery, he had in mind.

"Of course it's not." She mumbled.

Her hands brushed over the bag she had shouldered, the basketball formed a strange lump in it and only after she noticed that, she realized how much their plans from playing basketball had changed. She never had walked with one of her male friends alone through the city before like this. It felt weird, even more if it was with the table neighbor of hers.

"Maybe the court is now free?" Mia perked up.

Aomine blinked as he twisted his face towards her, the popsicle in his hand had been forgotten for a second and he quickly tried to save the treat from slipping away completely. The tall basketball player cursed at the sweet as if it would help him, making the orange-head smile against her own will. Even if it did feel weird, it surely wasn't so bad to hang out with him.

"Maybe." The teenager agreed, bumping into her as he started to walk back into the direction of the park. "If not I'll get rid of them."

"Wait, what?" Mia quickly asked as she stumbled after him. "You can't win against a whole group."

Aomine snorted. "_They_ can't win against me."

She didn't know whether she should laugh or be worried about the teenagers who had played basketball on the playground. She had seen him play already, the girl had given him a handicap and even that hadn't stopped him from winning. Had her blue haired classmate ever lost a match before? Probably not with that arrogant attitude of his...

Mia found herself frowning, biting the last small piece of the popsicle off. She followed once more his long steps obediently, her feet shuffling across the pavement in hurry to keep up with his pace. But as her gaze fell to the small wooden stick in her hand, she stopped moving all together.

Aomine noticed her lack of presence after a few meters, coming to a halt himself. He turned around to her, raising one of his eyebrows in question as the orange-head still stared at the tiny object in her hand. Mia finally looked up at him in slight surprise. Blinking away the doubt as childish giddiness filled her heart.

"I won."

Their plans changed just like that again and basketball was forgotten for a while.

But strangely, neither of them minded that.


	21. Day Fourty One

Again the chapter is pretty late; I was on a birthday, haha. I'm afraid _the next one_ will be _late _as well because I'll meet up with friends and I'll return home very late again. So just a warning!

Big thanks to...

_**- review section removed after story ended for a better view -**_

It's really, _really, __**really**_ short! Sorry about that but I'm tired and lazy and birthday parties...you know. Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews!

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><p><em><strong>DAY FOURTY ONE<strong>_

_"Mhm. That's good, right?"_

Mia glanced at the ceiling of her room, the phone heavy in her hand. It was nice to hear Nanami's voice, knowing that her friend had always been the honest kind whether or not you'd like to hear it. But right now, she wished, she'd offer a bit more than a handful of words as an answer.

"I guess, but didn't we want to go together?"

The cause of the orange-head's uncertain mood was Satsuki's message. She couldn't help but console Nanami first about the invitation. It was the summer festival, where the pink haired girl wanted to go to, but the two of them had wanted to go together originally. Their plans though, had fallen into the water the very second where the family of Nanami had decided to visit their grandparents instead.

_"Yeah."_ The black haired girl hummed on the other line. _"But I won't be here this year, so why not go with the drug dealer instead?"_

Mia breathed a laugh, stretching her legs across the bed to get more comfortable. It was just a joke, a really stupid one but her friend wouldn't let it live down. The girl felt slightly guilty for finding amusement in something as shallow and stupid like that, but it was hard not to laugh at the exaggerated picture in her mind.

"You're right...but..."

Her voice died in her throat as her mobile phone went off, signaling the arrival of yet another message. Mia swore that if it was another '_please_' of Satsuki again, she'd be ready to scream. The basketball club's manager could be so persistent, it was amazing. Who knew that behind that soft and beautiful face hid a stubborn, thick-headed mind?

However, instead of her it was the tall basketball player, Aomine, who decided to send her a message.

Quietly she opened it, still pressing the other phone they used at home against her ear. Nanami had become quiet for a moment herself on the other line, shuffling around. It took the orange-head a moment to register the message on her screen, but after the meaning slowly sunk in she started laughing lightly to herself.

_'Pay me back on the festival.'_

He never typed a greeting, it seemed, always straight to the point. Only using the few words he needed to get his point across. But these words alone made it so obvious that Satsuki had decided to annoy him, too. Long enough even so that he chose to contact her, making sure that his childhood friend got her way. How sly. She knew, she should have forced the money back onto him after he had bought the popsicle for her. Now he was demanding something in return.

_'Is there even ice cream?'_

Mia replied back, not willing to give in so easily only because Aomine wanted it. His answer was rather quick.

_'I don't care.'_

What else could she have expected of him? Short and straight to the point. Whether it was polite or not didn't matter. At least it didn't to her classmate, she thought. Nanami breathed deeply into her ear over the line, her voice calm as she started to speak again.

_"What happened?"_

"Just a text." The orange haired girl mumbled quietly. "Are we _really_ going next year to the festival then?"

Her friend chuckled, the faint noise of a suitcase zipping up invading the familiar rustle_. "Promise. Next year, it's just you and me. So go with Momoi."_

"I don't like yukatas..." Mia argued weakly while a frown crawled onto her face, her fingers were slowly typing a reply to the basketball player. She could imagine just fine how the pink haired girl got on his nerves; _she_ had nerves made out of steel. Satsuki didn't fear the tall teenager at all, although to her own surprise, Mia had to confess that she barely felt the panic she used to feel in the past these days either.

Aomine still had a rather intimidating glare in his eyes, but slowly and surely she realized that it didn't mean her end.

_'Where?'_

_"That's just you - girls love yukatas."_

_'At the station in front of the festival. Seven pm.'_

"Well, they aren't comfortable." Mia grumbled in return, her eyes still glued at the screen.

_'Alright. I'm coming.'_

_"No one said that they'd have to be."_

_'Finally.'_

Mia couldn't help but laugh again. It was too easy to imagine the frown on his face, how his forehead was set in wrinkles while his lips were turned down. It was strange how clear his expression had suddenly become. How simple it was to imagine his lack of motivation and annoyed attitude even though they were doing nothing else but exchanging a few written words.

_"Ah, I need to hang up. I'll send you a few texts or something if I can."_ Nanami's voice grew distant, her attention had obviously wandered. Probably to all her stuff which she still hadn't packed up completely.

"Okay." Mia agreed. "I hope you'll survive without me."

_"I'll try. See you, Mia."_

"Yeah, see you..."

The girl finally sat up, putting the one phone aside to cast the mobile phone in the other her whole attention. She had really hoped that she'd go and visit the summer festival with Nanami since they had become friends. But to spend the day with the bubbly female student instead didn't sound so bad either.

"Summer festival, huh?"

The heat filled her room, making her sweat even though she barely moved a single centimeter. The girl could hardly wait for the fall to come, warm weather was nice and everything. But to sweat when she did nothing but lay around was certainly something, she didn't need. With a heavy sigh, she let herself fall back onto the bed, staring at the snow-white ceiling above her head once more.

Food and fireworks.

So simple and still something everyone looked forward to.

Mia rolled onto her stomach, cradling her head in her arms as she glanced at nothing in particular. There was no way, she wasn't excited herself, Tokyo was a pretty popular location. The fireworks had always been pretty, offering a great sight at night when the sky was nearly black. The blue haired basketball player was coming as well, her mind hushed quietly, right?

Maybe it wasn't going to be so bad. Aomine could be pretty funny when he wanted to.

Carefully she lifted the mobile phone, lazily blinking at the display as she started to type.

_'See you tomorrow, Aomine.'_

Silence filled her room. And to be honest Mia hadn't expected him to actually reply when she had fallen asleep, he could take so long sometimes, it was terrible. But to her own surprise a message arrived a few seconds later.

_'Yeah.'_

The orange-head smiled slightly at the word, burying her head in her arms as her head suddenly felt heavy and tired. Their friendship was surely weird. She looked forward to the festival, even more while knowing that he'd be there as well. He wasn't really the person you'd see walking around on such a lively event, his mood and appearance was anything but welcoming unlike Satsuki's.

But she looked forward to it anyway.


	22. Day Fourty Two

Another day, another chapter.

_**- review section removed after story ended for a better view -**_

This chapter has become long, I think. At least compared to the previous ones but I'm a bit uncertain about the pace and what you do on a festival, haha. I hope I could get the atmosphere right and the amount of fluff as well.

A very small cameo of a Miracle! More will soon follow! Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews! I'm really happy that you enjoy the story!

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><p><em><strong>DAY FOURTY TWO<strong>_

Mia found herself glaring at her reflection in the mirror as she tried to put on the wooden hairclip which was decorated with red and yellow flowers. It just wouldn't stay where she wanted to put it, the gleaming pearls falling at an awkward angle. It felt like she was a clumsy monkey who tried to pick up a little coin.

"Let me do that, sweetie." Her mother chuckled, appearing behind her.

With skilled hands she quickly brushed through the hair of her daughter, tying them up on the back of her head. Mia smiled at the older woman through the reflection, her gaze flickering to the clothes she had brought into her room. "Mum, I don't want to wear a yukata..."

"Oh, hush - you want to."

"Dad never had to wear something like that."

Her mother actually pouted at that, securing the hair clip with a few soft movements. "Your father is a stubborn man. Calling it a man dress...seriously."

It only took the woman a few more coaxing words before the girl had no other choice but to give in. It always took so much time to put on a yukata, the fabric was heavy and tight in her opinion, clinging to her form like a second skin. It wasn't like she hated it, the bright color of white which was overrun by a colorful pattern of flowers was beautiful - but it always felt like as if she was suffocating in it after some time.

She sure as hell wasn't going to wear those damn old-fashioned sandals though...

Mia sighed as she remembered Satsuki calling her yesterday, excited to announce that the yearly summer festival was taking place tonight. The pink haired girl hadn't been able to pursue the basketball club to come as well, that's why she was hoping the orange-head wouldn't leave her hanging. Two other friends she had asked were going on dates with their boyfriends anyway. And there was no way someone would be able to say '_no_' to Satsuki after she pestered you with a handful of '_please_' and '_it'll be fun_'s.

That even Aomine texted her about it was the last push she needed to give in.

"Like this." Her mother mumbled, patting her shoulders as both of them stared at her in the mirror. "Go and enjoy the festival with your friends."

"Thanks, mum."

* * *

><p>"Mia-chan!"<p>

It wasn't difficult to find the bubbly pink haired student in between the many people who came to visit the festival. She started to wave, nearly jumping up and down as she tried to do anything which was possible to catch Mia's attention, earning a glance here and there by strangers, although that didn't bother her in the slightest.

Her sidekick was no one else but the tall basketball player, of course. Aomine leaned onto his left feet, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he frowned at nothing in particular. It wasn't a surprise that Satsuki wore a wonderful peachy pink robe herself, Mia thought. But to have her classmate here in a yukata himself was unexpected. The dark navy blue of the fabric fitted his tanned skin and hair and unlike her - who chose to wear a pair of simple sandals - the two of them had taken the traditional kind. Mia could easily see that it probably hadn't been Aomine's choice to wear that himself.

"Satsuki-san, Aomine."

The girl in front of her squealed in delight, hugging the orange-head tightly.

"You look great! I really thought I'd have to visit the festival all alone with Aomine-kun this year again! I really don't understand how the others could say no..." Pouting she held onto Mia's hands, squeezing them as she turned to the teenager behind her. "It's weird to always go with my childhood friend."

"You force me every year to go with you." Aomine snorted.

"That's not true!" Satsuki argued weakly. But it became obvious that what he was saying was probably true. "I just _really_ like the firework..."

The orange haired girl couldn't help but relax next to the energetic student who nearly shielded her with her own body from any invisible attack. Her gaze wandered towards the colorful bunch of people around them, the main event was just around the corner. It waited patiently for the visitors who came from many different corners of their district.

"Let's go then."

Taking the lead, Satsuki walked off towards the entrance of the festival. The sunset was already behind their backs. Engulfing the scenery in a deep warm purple. The starry night sky wasn't far anymore. And the masses of people were amazing, different voices and scents clashed against another everywhere.

Mia couldn't help but smile to herself, enjoying the lively atmosphere which was a nice change. The three of them stayed close to another as they fell in step with the strangers around them. Her dark eyes wandered from one stall to another, many different kinds of candy and warm meals were offered and it surely was way too much - but the girl wanted to try them all anyway.

Excited Satsuki pointed at a small place who sold cotton candy. The color just as soft and warm as her hair. "I'm going to buy some, wait a second!"

Mia nodded, smiling at the female student who rushed off like a child. She surely wouldn't regret coming here, even if Nanami wasn't able to accompany her. But to see the girl, she recently was able to call her friend as well this happy, slowly but surely let her heart warm up. Swelling with the typical festival spirit.

"Wanna buy something, too?" Aomine asked.

Carefully she looked up at him. For the tall guy it was easy to see the different snacks you were able to buy. His height towering over so many others, girls and boys...it must be hard sometimes. However, in times like these, it must be useful, too.

"Yeah." The orange-head finally said. "How about shaved ice?"

The blue haired teen pulled his lips into a lopsided grin. He had expected her to mention the payback for the popsicle, that's why his eyes already searched for a stall which sold the popular treat. Even the tall teen had to push his height to the fullest in order to get a clear sight over the many stalls. And as his blue eyes finally caught what he was looking for, he started to push her into a certain direction.

"Let's get it while Satsuki is fightin' with the kids over the cotton candy."

Mia laughed, trying to twist her head in a certain angle in hope she could see the very person he spoke of. But even though she caught a glimpse of her bright long hair behind a few strangers, she could barely see her fully. Just like he said, there were many children gathering around the person who sold the sugary treat. Satsuki was somehow getting lost in the little sea of colors and voices.

"I didn't think you'd wear a yukata as well." She said as they made their way towards the stall he had seen. A slightly difficult task with all those people around them.

"What?" The blue haired teen leaned forward, their height difference too big with all the noise around them.

"The yukata." Mia repeated, raising her voice. "Didn't think you'd wear one."

"_Ah_." Aomine's eyes narrowed. "Satsuki can be a pain when she can't have her way."

His expression told of experience. The wrinkles on his forehead increasing as he seemed to recall a handful of times - the girl could only wonder what they had already gone through together up until now. The moment where he had mentioned his middle school's name, his mood had become sour the other day...so there must have been rather hideous moments as well.

After a felt-like eternity, they reached the colorful stall with a friendly looking man. The line was slowly disappearing; their turn was soon the next to choose which syrup they wanted. Naturally the orange-head went with the sweet and sour green apple, a decision which the basketball player at her side criticized nearly immediately after she had the small plastic bowl in her hands.

"It's good." She quickly defended. "It really is."

As if she had confessed that the world was coming to an end, he furrowed his brow, going with a similar flavor she'd come to known thanks to the popsicle. The icy-blue color drenched the shaved iced rasps of his portion while hers glowed in a fresh green. She loved the taste of sour apples; the green ones had always been her favorite. A crime in the eyes of her classmate apparently.

Finally she was able to pay him back though, handing out the money to the friendly salesman as they tried to turn away from the stall. But the front of the cotton candy shop was suddenly overrun by even more children, the pink hair nowhere to be seen.

Mia started frowning. "Where's Satsuki-san?"

The blue haired teen next to her craned his neck, searching for his childhood friend in the masses of the strangers. But even he, with his advantage, didn't find the bubbly girl anywhere. She couldn't have gone missing just like that, now could she? The festival was very lively, yes, but the basketball club manager always looked so responsible. At least in Mia's eyes.

Sighing deeply Aomine shoved a bigger portion of his ice inside of his mouth, biting onto the small plastic spoon. "Wait here. Just gonna check."

"Okay."

With swift steps he left her side, his lean figure disappearing in the sea of colors and strangers. It was hard to believe that the female student had found a way to get lost even though they were hardly separated by a handful of meters. Of course, it was always possible with so many strangers around but Aomine was always easy to make out in a crowd. He wasn't really a guy you'd search for too long.

Patiently she scooped up a portion of her shaved ice, cherishing the sour and sweet taste in her mouth. The other visitors, families, friends and couples walked past her. Talking and laughing about different things, she couldn't hear. Maybe she should try calling the other girl? She probably had her mobile phone on her.

"Ah."

Mia blinked surprised at the short glimpse she had of a certain pink haired head in the distance. Without thinking she stepped forward, determined to catch Satsuki before the poor girl would get entirely lost - but of course, she collided with someone else in the filled path.

Her delicious treat fell out of her grasp, colliding with the hard ground at her feet. But her mind rolled towards the stranger, forgetting the food as she grimaced at her own stupidity.

"Jeez, I'm sorry."

She apologized, bending down to pick up whatever had fallen out of the hand of the other person. In this case it was a blue dotted flag - at least it wasn't dirtied by her melting ice. "I saw a friend of mine and didn't look."

Her gaze rose to meet the deep green colored orbs of the stranger. A guy who must have been around her age, reaching a size which was challenging Aomine's for sure. And the frown on his face could have been ripped off of her classmate as well. He quietly took the blue flag back, his free hand pressing his glasses against his face as if it would help his eyes to glare at her better.

She couldn't do much more than apologize though...

"Shin-chan stop glaring, you're scaring the poor thing!" Another person appeared at the side of the guy, hitting him harshly on his back.

"I'm not glaring." He grumbled back. "I knew today wasn't going to be a good day, that's all I thought."

"Uh, sorry." Mia repeated helplessly, taking a step back. She still had to find Satsuki.

The strangers looked at her before both of them found something else which must have been a lot more interesting to stare at. The orange-head was certain that they had forgotten her and saw a friend of theirs behind her somewhere, until a heavy arm was suddenly slung over her shoulder. Mia gasped out of surprise as she was pulled back against a hard chest, her dark eyes flying towards the unknown limb.

But as she saw the bronzed skin she started to relax to some degree.

"Aomine?"

It wasn't her voice. No, it was deep and calm. Maybe even monotone if you wanted to describe it roughly. Speechless she looked back towards the strangers in front of her; the guy she had stumbled into was staring at her classmate with a hard look on his face. They surely couldn't know each other, right? But how else would the teenager know the name of Aomine...?

"Long time no see, four-eyes."

The stranger closed his eyes, the annoyance easily seen on his face as he sighed. The dark haired teen next to the tall stranger blinked owlishly at them, his sharp eyes wandering in between the giants a few times before a sly smile found a way onto his lips.

"Shin-chan, you didn't tell me that one of your old teammates would be here as well!"

"Because I didn't know, obviously."

"Heh~?"

It was hard to follow the quiet stares of the boys, she hadn't seen them ever before, but from what she understood the guy with the glasses had been in Aomine's former basketball team...that would mean middle school, right? Slightly uncomfortable to stand in between two walls, one spreading more strength than the other, she started to fidget on her spot. How did she even got into these situations?

Mia could feel the weight of the arm on her shoulder slip away as the basketball player tugged her further behind him. Whether he realized her uneasiness or not was unclear. But the orange-head didn't mind it as she let him pull her back, the sight of his broad shoulders a familiar view. Curiously she looked around, hoping that he had brought Satsuki along as well...but it seemed that the girl still wasn't here.

The green haired teen watched the flawless movement in between them quietly, his hand still clinging to the blue dotted flag while his orbs flickered towards the navy ones of his former teammate. It was for him a sight which was hard to believe - that girl hadn't been Satsuki after all- but instead of pointing that out he chose to say something else.

"I saw you won against Seirin."

"Yeah."

Carefully Mia peeked past her tall classmate, watching the guys stare at another with such an intense feeling, it was hard to believe that they had known each other in the past. Or at least if they had been friends...it had something of an old western movie. A show down.

"Do you really have to talk about that now, Shin-chan? He's obviously on a date, right now."

It was once more the smaller teen who started to speak. His demeanor a lot brighter and easier than the ones of the other two - that was something Mia was thankful for. Even though she certainly couldn't agree with what he said. They had merely lost Satsuki somewhere, that was all.

"Date?" The green haired guy stared her down, quirking an eyebrow.

God, if only she had watched her step...

Mia found herself seeking protection behind Aomine's broad back once more. That was too much attention in such a short amount of time. It was an action which didn't go unnoticed by Aomine who threw a side glance over his shoulder. His face was as expressionless as ever, just glancing at her for a second. But then he swiftly turned back around to the other two, challenging them to say something else.

"Yeah, so we gotta leave now."

This sentence actually tickled a slightly startled look out of the glasses wearing guy. His eyes quickly landing on her once more, although the contact was kept short as Aomine turned away from them. One hand pressing against her back to force her to move, she felt lucky that she was wearing her normal sandals and not those traditional shoes which made it hard to walk.

"See ya, four-eyes."

Mia couldn't see the expression of the stranger because the blue haired basketball player blocked her view completely while still forcing her to walk. They pushed their way through the crowd. Moving with the wave of people until they had created a distance, Aomine deemed good enough.

"Who was that?" The girl asked, trying to look at him.

"We went to the same middle school." He deadpanned. "Satsuki found an old friend; she said she'll catch up later."

That sounded a lot like an attempt to change the topic, she mused. But as his voice fell, she feared his mood would get bad. And that was something none of them needed. The whole _world_ didn't need that. Mia bit her lip, looking away as she tried to find a good distraction. Her ice had fallen to a horrible death anyway. May it rest in peace.

"Oh." She breathed, tugging at the sleeve of his yukata. "Ever tried to scoop a goldfish?"

"Years ago." He scoffed. "That's kids stuff."

"I bet, I can catch one before you can."

His frown finally eased away as he let the arrogant grin grow on his lips, she knew so well. A challenge was always something he seemed to like. His confidence was too big for his own head, in her opinion, but he willingly led them towards the stall. For her, it was the first time since quite some time as well. The same excitement, however, filled her veins as they crouched down at the enclosed basin.

With bowl and tiny scoop in hand, they stared at the goldfishes. The owner of the stand grinned at the teenagers whose faces were scrunched up in concentration. It looked like, they were off to a good start.

After some time, their expression had changed completely though.

Aomine had started glaring at the poor little fishes, curses were tumbling out of his mouth with nearly every breath he took. And it was only getting worse. While she was still struggling with her third try, her classmate had already paid for his seventh one. And still no small goldfish was foolish enough to fall for his tearable trap.

"Those shitty _little_..." The basketball player was gritting his teeth, turning to face the shop owner once more. "Another try."

"Aomine, how about we try something else?" Mia asked smiling.

But the tall teen would have none of it.

"No way, I'll catch _one_ damn fish. Whether I'm gonna die tryin' or not." Determined, he pushed the sleeves of his yukata up to his elbows, his glare narrowing at the tiny animals that swam from right to left. It was so childish of him, something she didn't expect. But it made the whole situation all the funnier. He acted like an idiot, insulting goldfishes as if they had planned to drive him insane from the very beginning.

"_Ahomine_."

He finally looked up, his face twisting towards her as he frowned. "Don't call me that."

"Then give it up."

Aomine hesitated. His hateful glare aimed at the swimming little creatures. His pride stood in his way but slowly and surely it was getting silly how much the two of them failed at this game. She had tried to distract him and she had succeeded at that. But now it was getting ridiculous how much they invested in trying to catch a fish, they'd probably let out at a river later on anyway.

"...I could catch one."

Mia put the bowl and scoop aside, her smile widening as she tried not to giggle.

"Sure."

"It's just the fault of this stupid, crappy scoop."

"Yeah."

"If I had a good one, I'd catch like, ten."

"Uh-huh."

"I'm serious."

"Come on." Mia laughed while she stood up, her legs felt sore for a moment after she had stayed for so long in a single position. Carefully, she brushed over the white fabric, trying to improve the blood flow in her legs a bit until the uncomfortable feeling left her bones. The tall teenager still hesitated, his ego which was too big for his own good, stopping him from giving up.

The orange-head had to tug at his arm to finally make him stand up. Willingly, he finally let go of the small plastic bowl and the scoop, giving the fishes a last despising glare before they were able to leave the stall. The smile still didn't leave her; too much did she enjoy seeing him suck at something. He was lazy at school, yes, but he was able to pass his exams. So to find something else, as innocent as scooping goldfish, was enough to make her feel better.

"Who needs goldfish anyway."

Mia laughed out loud right then, he sounded pretty angry, but to _her,_ it sounded like he was sulking in his very own way.

"Stop laughing, Nidori."

He shoved her lightly aside with his shoulder and even though she tried to calm down, she couldn't. The grin was plastered across her face, her cheeks warm thanks to the summer heat and warmth which had spread in her guts. It was fun. She had fun.

"Sorry. _Sorry_."

Aomine scowled at her a while longer, the corners of his lips trying to fight off a small grin.

"Should we get something to eat?" Her question caused his eyes to look around, checking the stalls around them.

But before either of them could come up with an idea what they could get to eat, their attention was caught by a loud explosion. Just like the two of them, many other visitors came to a sudden halt. The sky above them which had turned nearly black some time ago was lightened up by a bunch of colorful sparks.

Shortly after the first one, two others followed. Red and yellow, were followed by green and purple. Mia blinked at the show in surprise; so much time had already passed, it seemed. The firework had started while they were still in the middle of the festival instead of the meadow, where the visitors could find a good spot to watch the blooming fire flowers.

The view they had was narrow thanks to the colorful roofs of the stalls and lanterns which hang in the trees. But it was pretty nonetheless. Mia stared at the flying sparkles mesmerized; more and more appeared in the sky. One constellation differed from the other. And finally a handful of strangers started to move again, some eager to quickly hurry and reach the meadow to get a better view.

The orange-head stumbled slightly as someone bumped into her; but her hands found hold on Aomine as the basketball player lifted his arm slightly to keep her from falling. His reflexes were obviously a lot better than her own ones, even when he wasn't looking.

Mia's gaze was still glued to the sky above them though; she didn't want to miss any part of the firework. It was the highlight after all. Just like her classmate it seemed, he looked less thrilled than she did, but his eyes were watching the colors explode nonetheless. His arm was still slightly lifted for her hands to hold on - which the girl still did to be exact. She didn't really notice it herself; she was too busy watching the spectacle in the night sky.

But Aomine did.


	23. Day Fourty Five

Another day, another chapter.

_**- review section removed after story ended for a better view -**_

Again, this chapter is _very, very_ short! It lacks Aomine pretty much and is a light timeline plot pusher for the next big relationship step. Just a warning! And I really wanted to say that I was so surprised by the feedback. It was amazing and I'm so happy that you liked it!

Thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews!

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><p><em><strong>DAY FOURTY FIVE<strong>_

Mia bit into the watermelon piece in her hands, enjoying the cool texture on her tongue. The show on the television was pretty popular, many dramatic turns and twists. Tears and humor. And the only thing which the girl deemed _'alright'_ right now next to the other episodes of soap operas and seasons which had been repeated by the third time already.

The summer was still dawning upon them, the last days filled with nothing but laziness and sleep. After the festival ended, her time schedule had been so empty without the black haired girl. Mia could barely wait for her to come back; it was always so much more fun to sit around together instead of alone.

"If you got nothing to do you could help me, you know?"

Mia's dark eyes rolled to her side where her father stood. The big glass door which led to the small backyard of their home was open, the sunshine flooding the living room behind his back. The grown man held onto a basket which was filled to the brim with clothes, mostly cotton shirts and short pants which they now needed the most due to the weather.

"It's _your_ job." The girl replied, biting into the watermelon again.

The older man pouted, weighing the laundry basket onto his hip so that he could brush the short orange hair strands out of his eyes.

"I _made_ you; shouldn't it be your job to do what your creator tells you to do?"

Mia nearly spit out the fruit, glaring at her father who started grinning from one ear to another.

"That's _gross_, dad. Seriously."

Satisfied that he was the one to cause the unwanted thoughts in her mind, he disappeared through the open door. He aimed for the washing line outside to hang up the wet clothes. All the while the eyes of his daughter followed him with a half-hearted glare. Her father was truly a giant by Japanese standards. She didn't notice it anymore but as she was young, she'd always notice the difference in height when he picked her up from primary school. He had always towered over the other fathers.

Aomine was pretty tall, too...

"Dad?"

It took him a moment before he called back. "Yeah?"

"How tall are you again?"

Her father threw her a look from the garden, a white shirt in his hands. "Phew, about...well nearly two meters. Why? Did I scare your little friend away?"

"No, no - just wondering..."

Mia let herself fall back into the cushions, her gaze landing onto the screen. The show was still airing; the scenery had changed just like the characters, although it didn't really matter as long as she had something to do. Slowly, she took the watermelon piece back into her hands, ready to bite off the rest of the fruity snack before her father suddenly rushed back into the living room.

"Who is he?"

The girl had pulled her bent legs against her chest out of surprise, staring at the older man whose goofy grin had suddenly disappeared. His clear bright eyes were scanning her expression for any clue, but Mia didn't even know what he was going on about. Finally her father opened his mouth, repeating the three words he had said before.

"Who is he?"

"Who is who, dad?"

"Is he tall? I can't accept a '_Japanese-tall_'. These are lies, baby girl." The grown man leaned against the doorframe, his face grimacing. "A hundred seventy centimeter _ain't_ tall."

"Wait, what?"

Finally, her brain understood what he was going on about, although she didn't really liked where his thoughts were going. Why did parents have to always expect the worst things when their children asked a single innocent question? Yes, she had thought of the basketball player, but only because he was so tall. It wasn't her fault that Aomine was a guy and not a girl.

"I don't want a boy who barely reaches my knees."

"Now you're being cruel."

"Honest." Her father argued, lifting a finger into the air of emphasis the word. "It's called honesty."

"The last time I checked, it was called prejudi- I, I don't even know what you're going on about, dad."

The grown man let his hand fall back at his side, staring at her a bit puzzled. For a second both of them became quiet, merely exchanging a look while the gears in their heads turned and twisted. Her father sighed heavily, carefully turning back to the garden behind him because he knew, he still had a handful of clothes to hang up. In the end, he came to the conclusion that maybe he overreacted a tiny bit - like any father in his situation would do. But, of course, just a _tiny_ bit.

"Just making sure...I guess."

"Well, you should make sure you get things done before mum sees you still slacking around."

The orange haired man frowned at his daughter; the cruelty came from a calm and soft expression. He pressed a hand against his chest as if he tried to touch the invisible wound, he had received by Mia's words. The girl, on the other hand, could only blink at his dramatic action if she had gotten used to anything over the years then it was her father's way of acting.

"That hurt, baby girl."

The teenager smiled over the watermelon piece in her hand which only made it harder for the older one to not grin as well. Finally he left, returning to his task while Mia chose to watch the show she had nearly completely missed again. She wondered what Nanami was doing right now. Or Satsuki...did the basketball team train again? They had a match coming up. InterHigh still wasn't over yet.

Hopefully, Aomine wouldn't try to skip that just like all those practices.

Thoughtfully, she pulled her mobile phone out of her pocket, staring at the screen while wondering if it wouldn't be too weird for her to text him. Satsuki had already called her once as they had a match, asking her if she knew where he was...it was the same day they had talked over the phone as well. His mood had been bad thanks to a member of the club who had insulted someone he knew.

A friend, she guessed.

_'A match is coming up, right?'_

It was the fault of her boredom, Mia decided. She had too much time on her hands and her fingers had pressed the sent button already before she could have maybe changed her mind about texting him at all. Swiftly, she put the phone aside, expecting it to take a lot of time before the basketball player would reply.

And just like she thought, it took an hour before the phone went off. Easily scooping up the small device, she checked her messages. Where his name was slowly but surely filling her postbox next to Nanami's and Mum's.

_'Yeah. This Saturday.'_

Eagerly, she tipped an answer.

_'You won't skip it, right?'_

This time he was quick, it didn't even take a minute until her mobile phone signaled the arrival of the message.

_'No way. Not against him.'_

Oh, he sounded excited. That was new. The orange-head wondered who his opponent could be when he actually seemed to be fired up.

_'Good luck then.'_

Mia knew, what was coming next. There was such a high possibility that he'd write something as arrogant and self-confident as-

_'I don't need it.'_

-_a_s that.

Laughing slightly at her foreboding, she leaned back against the couch. The summer heat was still brooding, the taste of watermelon slowly but surely lost its greatness after four pieces. She'd have actually nothing against a popsicle. Or shaved ice.

_'Of course. Ahomine.'_

_'Shut up.'_


	24. Day Fourty Nine

Another day, another chapter.

_- removed review section after the story ended for a better view -_

Damn, I'm late again. Sorry about that. I know that some of you wished that Mia went to watch the match of Kaijo High and Tōō Academy but that didn't fit in my plans! Sorry about that, really. I hope that you'll like this chapter anyway because I needed her to not go for this certain step in the relationship department. Wohoo.

Thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews!

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><p><em><strong>DAY FOURTY NINE<strong>_

Maybe she should have gone after all?

Mia couldn't help but stare thoughtfully at the bag of chips in her hand. Satsuki had called her, inviting her to join them, because they all drove to the big sport gym where the match took place together. The orange-head didn't really get why the pink haired girl was so eager to have her join them in the first place, but she mentioned somewhere along the way that they'd be playing against an old friend.

That could explain why Aomine was actually looking forward to a game, even though he had been skipping practice all the time.

But the hall was pretty far away and this noon, Nanami had finally time to call her. She did feel bad in the end for rejecting Satsuki's offer. However, it was so nice to talk to her dear friend again after some time. She listened to her tales of embarrassing family moments and the promise of showing her many photographs when she'd be back.

The orange haired girl wasn't really part of their basketball club either...so it would be weird for her to go, right?

Mia sighed heavily, putting the chips into her basket as she roamed through the aisles of the convenience store. It would have been weird. She told herself that over and over again. But after the tenth time, it sounded meaningless. The girl was curious; she would have actually really liked seeing Aomine and his team in action.

Yeah, they had played together. And once she had watched him play against the teenagers in the park - but _this_ was a tournament. An official game. Mia had looked up the InterHigh out of curiosity yesterday, and to her surprise it really seemed to be an important thing for the high school's basketball. With audience and sometimes even interviews and stuff like that.

"I should've gone to watch it..." She grumbled to herself.

Now she was busy buying some snacks for a rather lazy late afternoon. She had decided to make a movie marathon. And for that she needed a lot of sugar, chips and chocolate like any other average teenager. Though she couldn't decide whether she should go with or without popcorn...

Mia jumped as her mobile phone started ringing, her hands hurrying to dig it out of her bag. It was a hard task to accomplish; the basket was in her way as she finally got hold of the vibrating little device. But after a little struggle, she was finally able to flick it open.

"Yeah?"

_"...I won."_

It was Aomine's deep voice on the other side of the line. Quiet and heavy. She could feel her heartbeat quicken at the sound of it. It was incredible how his already masculine voice dropped another octave through the static connection. She definitely wouldn't believe he was sixteen years old if she didn't know it already. He sounded a lot older.

"Congratulations..." She murmured quietly in return.

Something was off.

It was just a feeling but something didn't feel right. The basketball player had become silent on the other end, nothing too surprising, but his low breathing made her furrow her brow. It was as if she could see the horrible frown in front of her eyes. _But they had won, hadn't they?_ Her mind hushed confused.

"Did..." The girl started slowly. "...did something happen again?"

_"No."_ Aomine replied.

But she didn't trust him right away. Something had happened, she wasn't stupid. He had called her. Even when they texted each other sometimes...they never called. She had only done it once and as she did that, he hadn't been feeling well either...Mia bit her bottom lip thoughtfully, her gaze falling to the chips and chocolate bar in her basket.

"Are...a-are you hungry?"

The silence killed her, she was certain. She could hear him breathing, something rustled as he shifted or something. But then finally, he replied.

_"The park."_

Mia blinked slightly puzzled before her brain caught up with their conversation. She found herself nodding quickly, a gesture the blue haired teen obviously couldn't see.

"I'll wait."

He hung up afterwards, without a goodbye. The girl stood in the store, a bit confused and worried because her mind was full of '_what ifs_'. He had won, he had said it himself. So what could have gone wrong? Maybe a member of his team had been rude again? But Satsuki and the others were there to look after him - well, it's not like he really needed it...or did he?

Mia found herself suddenly staring at the many different snacks in the shelf in front of her. There were so many colorful packages and wrappings, flavors and forms - not to forget drinks which awaited her in a different aisle.

She had no idea what Aomine liked.

* * *

><p>The sun was already setting as she waited on the bench at the playground. She didn't know how long it took him to arrive from the gym, but she already sat there for an hour. She was playing with the strap of her bag, feeling slightly nervous because she didn't know what to expect.<p>

It was a relief anyway to see his familiar stature in the distance. He still wore the jogging suit of his team, the dark black and red engulfing his body. A sight she wasn't used to, she had never seen him wear her school's colors before really...only the frown he had on his face was the same. Cold and nearly emotionless.

Mia stayed quiet as he sat down next to her. He was still radiating heat, his hair wet from the sweat he had worked up. Hadn't he took his time to shower properly first? The girl scanned his profile, hoping something would tell her what had happened because he didn't appear eager to tell her what was wrong.

Nearly hectically, she grabbed her bag, shaking it upside down to let all the things she had bought tumble out of it. Aomine finally looked at her, or better said at the the different chocolate bars, candies, chips and drinks which landed on her lap. Some of them rolled onto the ground.

The grimace on his face softened as his eyes widened. The grin was weak but he started snickering at the sight of all the unhealthy food she had brought with her.

"Ya really came prepared, eh?"

Mia's face flushed in embarrassment. "Of course...I didn't know what you liked so...I just kinda...bought everything..."

The basketball player grabbed a soda can which lay somewhere in the small mountain of candies and opened it. Even though, she had hoped the amount of food she had offered him would break the ice, it merely scratched the surface, it seemed. Carefully cradling the bags and cans in her lap, she chose to take a daring glimpse at his face.

"...what happened?"

Aomine stopped drinking, his gaze clinging to something far in the distance. Slowly he lowered his arm, leaning both elbows onto his knees to support his upper body.

"I..." He said slowly, scrunching up his face in discomfort. "I fucked up, I guess."

"You...wanna talk about it?" Mia asked slowly.

"Not really."

Nodding in understanding, she glanced at the snacks. She maybe had asked him if he was hungry, indicating that they should meet up. But now she was at loss for words. She couldn't force him to talk about the match if he didn't want to. And she didn't really know anything about it either except that they had won.

The tall teenager tapped his forefinger against the cool surface of the can, the lines on his face hard.

"...the face." He mumbled, frowning at the soda. "His face was just..."

Aomine sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he started to glare at his feet. So it was about the friend Satsuki had mentioned, she thought. Someone they had known in middle school, maybe someone who knew the teenager with the glasses she had met on the festival as well? It must be hard to fight against each other...it meant that one of them wouldn't be able to participate in the tournament anymore...

There could be so many reasons and Mia didn't know any of them for real.

"...you could always tell him. Apologize or something."

His heavy blue gaze landed on her, narrow and doubting but Mia continued.

"If he is your friend he'll understand you in time. Maybe not right now...but it's good to try anyway."

A breathy chuckle escaped the guy, the glare finally vanishing completely from his face. A small detail the girl welcomed because he looked so much better when he wasn't grimacing. A lot less hostile and scary. Aomine threw the empty can of soda in a trash bin which was close by, easily hitting his target without actually looking at it. But his shoulders relaxed afterwards, the tense muscles finally finding the time to rest.

"I'm tired." He drawled, stretching his arms above his head.

No wonder, her mind whispered. She could still feel the high body temperature his body gave off, the match must have been barely over before he had called her. And if she was already exhausted by merely running around a bit over the court, who knew how much he must have moved around in a match to be actually tired himself?

Mia looked at the snacks, hoping to find something, she could offer him now where the atmosphere had become friendlier. But quickly, she was caught off guard by the weight she suddenly felt on top of her right shoulder.

Her classmate had leaned against her, easily towering over her as his chin rested upon her head. She could feel his chest pressing against her side, the warmth burning through her clothes while his scent filled her senses. The blood rushed back into her face immediately. Her ears glowing as she didn't dare to move.

"What? Aomine...?" She tried to turn her head towards him although in the end she merely came to face his neck and shoulder.

All the teenager did in return was lean more of his weight upon her, locking her in place on the bench as her heart had started hammering against her chest. She was confused. She didn't know what to do. But he was so close. So damn close and she was certain that her heart was going to jump into her throat sometime soon.

"You smell sweaty..." Mia croaked weakly.

Aomine chuckled, the vibrations of his laugh crawling through her side as his chest heaved with every breath he took. Her body couldn't relax; her limbs were tense as she didn't know what to do with herself. What was she supposed to do anyway? Move away? Say something? She had no idea. All she knew in this moment was that he was warm, very, very warm. And that he smelt of sweat and something like lemon.

"Shut up." He mumbled after some time. "I'm getting comfortable here."

Mia couldn't help but smile at that. He always had to have the last word, no matter what.

"We should watch that stupid movie of yours."

At that she tried to look up, a try in vain because his chin still kept her head in place. Her mind didn't have to search long for the needed memory. The placard was still burned into her head about the animation movie which should have been released by now actually. A movie for families mostly, but she always loved those stories about tales, good and evil and a happy end.

Her smile shrunk slightly as she lowered her chin, it felt like as if she tried to hide her red face and smile from someone. But there wasn't anyone around to see her. The blue haired teenager probably knew she was glowing anyway...but for her, it was hard to imagine what his face looked like right now.

"Yeah." She breathed deeply, her body finally relaxing. "We should."


	25. Day Fifty One

Another day, another chapter.

_**- removed review section after story ended for better view -**_

There are two small cameos this time of the Miracles. One is obvious the other one...well, kinda as well but the name is not mentioned so yay, mystery thing? Haha. Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews!

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><p><em><strong>DAY FIFTY ONE<strong>_

It was strange.

The nervousness which crawled beneath her skin. The way her guts squirmed around, making every step somehow uncomfortable. She didn't know what to think. Actually her head felt empty. It had never been like that before. At least she couldn't recall anything similar from her past. Mia was nervous. She was actually nervous to see the blue haired basketball player.

It was his fault, she concluded.

She had never paid it any heed before until he had leaned against her in the park. But he was tall - yeah she knew he was tall, but, he was _tall_ - and warm. His body felt hard like a rock. Any skin contact felt suddenly foreign and the goosebumps ran down her spine as she had actually felt his body shook with his laughter and breath right next to her.

Mia could feel the thoughts slowly swirl around in her head. Of course, he was a guy, she knew that there was certainly a difference between female friends and male friends. It was an obvious thing. But she never had realized that as harshly as that day.

And now, it was suddenly strange to meet him.

The girl held onto the strap of her bag as she walked down the sidewalk. The inner part of the district was always busy. It was no difference this day either. The many voices and faces of people blurred into a sea of colors and noise around her, cars were driving down the street while she made her way towards the little fountain where they wanted to meet up.

"But where is he...?"

The orange-head glanced around, trying to find her classmate in between the strangers. But it was a pretty popular meet-up place, they had chosen, there were many other teenagers who had enough free time in summer break. And even with his height, it was impossible for her to find him yet. Still turning and twisting around, she typed into her mobile phone a message, simply asking Aomine if he had already arrived.

It was an underestimation if she wasn't surprised that he called her a few seconds after she had pressed send. Hectically, she pushed the green button, pressing the device against her ear.

"Yeah?"

_"It's a pain to type it, I'm at the big clock right now."_

Mia's head turned around towards the structure he talked about. It was not far from the fountain. "Well, me too...but I can't see you."

She heard him grumbling something, it was too quiet for her to understand, but it was obvious that he had started moving around as well. Maybe they should've met up at the station...that suddenly sounded a lot smarter than here, although now it was too late to change that.

_"Wait right where you are."_

The orange-head turned around again, her gaze wandering over the many heads of the strangers in hope to see the familiar blue haired teenager. But there were just too many people. Elders, children, teens who were just around her age...Mia found herself frowning slightly, how was he supposed to find her, when she couldn't find him?

His logic was flawless as usual.

"Aomine-"

Mia suddenly froze.

Her voice died on her tongue as her eyes locked with the ones of a stranger. It wasn't the person she was looking for, she had never seen him either before to be honest. But the cold glint in his gaze fixated her, the moment the name had left her lips. It felt like someone shoved down a pack of ice down her shirt, if she thought she had been nervous before then she was surely terrified by now.

The boy walked past her, leaving with a group of other guys who were taller than him. All wearing similar uniforms just like her classmate and his team - only the colors differed. Snow white and baby blue were the complete opposite of the traditional version of their school.

It was just a second they had looked at another anyway, a single moment. But to her, it had felt like an eternity.

"Nidori."

The girl felt a hand on top of her head which twisted her skull towards the tall teenager she had been searching for. Mia could feel herself relaxing as she saw the familiar face of Aomine. His frown was aimed at the stranger who had left a few seconds ago. But that didn't matter because the tremor in her heart felt suddenly soothing in contrast to the coldness.

"Aomine." She breathed in relief, shutting her phone in process.

He still wasn't looking at her, his blue orbs following something in the distance. But the second, he lost sight of it, his attention fell onto her. Bravely the girl suppressed the blush which wanted to creep onto her face, it was his fault. She concluded once more. All his.

"Ya alright?"

"I'm okay." She answered slowly, only once looking back towards the direction where the stranger had disappeared. But he was gone, of course. With ease she turned towards her classmate, smiling up at his usual bored frown. "Ready for a family movie?"

"Hell yeah." He drawled disinterested.

However.

Both of them couldn't help but grin.

* * *

><p>Well.<p>

Their plans had been postponed for an hour and a half. The movie started later when they had anticipated and now they were walking around the mall in hope to kill some time. It wasn't really helping her case with her slight nervousness. In the past, they had met up to play basketball, they had been busy and the natural topic of the sport had kept the conversation alive.

Now, however, they had met up to do something entirely else. And it was so strange; she couldn't stop repeating that in her head. The mall was huge, filled to the brim with visitors and she felt suddenly so out of place at the side of the basketball player who somehow was able to catch a few glances here and there thanks to his height.

At first, the two of them merely walked around, silent with the exceptions of a few mumblings here and there about when the movie would start and when they'd have to return to the cinema to not miss it. Only after they had passed a shop which offered clothes and sports articles, the life to their conversations returned. The known topic of basketball came back.

"There is a difference?" Mia found herself asking, narrowing her eyes at a shoe in her hand.

"Sure is." The teen replied, pointing at the object in her hand before he gestured towards the one he held. "The sole ain't the same. This one is good for the court inside and that one here is for outside only."

"Damn, they're just shoes..."

Aomine snickered at her comment, his already big ego swelling up with the knowledge he could offer while all she could do was nod and grimace. His arrogant grin was burning in her eyes. She hadn't been able to wipe it off his face once since she knew him. And because he didn't care about school - the only point where she could beat him - she'd never be able to get rid of it.

"Oh, I know these." Mia called out as she stepped towards a table in the shop.

The orange haired girl grabbed one of the black shoes, scanning the logo on its surface while some popular pop song hummed through the large room. The basketball player approached her side, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants as he lifted an eyebrow.

"Adidas?"

"It's a German brand, they're pretty popular - mostly made for jogging, though."

Aomine furrowed his brow while taking the shoe from her hands to scrutinize the pale sole and material of it. For her it merely felt like a lucky guess, she was somehow able to contribute some kind of knowledge about sport in general. It wasn't really much, but she could never compare to his passion for it anyway.

It even amazed her actually. And she wasn't even really a fan of it to begin with.

Proudly, Mia smiled at her classmate who actually grumbled something of _'It ain't a bad shoe...'_ to himself. After the awkwardness in the beginning had been broken by the sports shop here, she actually started to feel comfortable enough to relax. Maybe they even sold basketballs? She should get one so that Aomine wouldn't have to steal one from the club all the time.

The girl walked through the shop, leaving the older one for a moment behind to find the certain object, she desired. The beat of the pop song which was played hung in the air, making her hum along against her own will. The tune was catchy and her feet tapped against the floor as she glanced at a shelf which was filled with a handful of balls of different sports.

Mia grinned brightly as she grabbed the orange orb from the fourth row, weighing it with both of her hands before a different pair of hands grabbed another one next to her. Surprised, she looked up, taking a step back to make sure she wasn't in the way, but the stranger who quickly noticed it merely smiled warmly.

She would have maybe returned it. Really, she was a polite girl.

Her face, however, turned pale as she realized who these golden locks belonged to. It was a face which had been plastered across so many magazines the girls in her class read, it was hard not to have seen it ever before. And if her brain just wouldn't be a horrible filter she'd be able to recall his name immediately.

Such stuff didn't happen in real life.

The tall boy blinked at her innocently a few times, the honey-brown color of his eyes glinting in something as he seemed to get the idea why she had paused in her movement like this.

"_Ah_, I've been found out, right?"

God, he was talking to her as well.

Why in the world did she think it was a good idea to go and look for a basketball? Awkwardly, Mia hugged the ball closer to her chest, the paleness quickly disappearing as instead the blush of embarrassment chose to appear.

"Uh, no. I mean..."

The blond grinned at her brightly. "Do you want an autograph? I can give you one." He held onto the orange ball with his right hand as he lifted his other to his mouth, pressing the forefinger against his smiling lips. "But please don't tell anyone you saw me, alright?"

What? No, she didn't want that. She was just surprised that people like him were normal human beings after all - he was a model, right? Gosh, why couldn't she remember his stupid name while she could recognize his face just fine?

"Oi, Nidori?"

Mia had probably never been so glad in her life as she was now, that was already twice today he saved her from an uncomfortable moment with a stranger and eagerly she turned around to the blue haired teenager to escape this more than awkward moment between her and someone her classmates would die for.

She lifted the basketball in her hands to show him what she found, his name barely passing her lips as the very blond haired teen behind her started to raise his voice in surprise.

"Aominecchi!?"

What?

Mia's eyes flickered from the blond to the tanned teenager a few times, her brow furrowing in confusion. They knew each other? What? How? Why?

"Kise."

That was his name, right! Kise something...Kise Ryouske...no, Kise _Ryōta_, yeah that was it. The young high school student who was working as a model for some brands, even though he was barely older than her - just a few months, she recalled. But how in the world did her classmate know him? That just didn't fit in her mind.

The guys looked at each other surprised and slightly uncertain. But all those emotions flew over Mia's head because she didn't know what to do in between the much unexpected fronts. Slowly and carefully she put the basketball back into the shelf, her fingers playing with another as the teenagers had forgotten her existence for a second.

"I...I got your message." Kise said quietly.

Aomine scratched the back of his head, frowning at nothing in particular as he grunted in reply. The orange-head could do nothing but glance at the awkward grimaces on their faces, wondering just what exactly was going wrong today, because apparently it wasn't enough that her thoughts were all in a chaotic mess. No, there was one strange thing chasing another.

"Uh..." Was all she could mutter but it was enough to catch the attention of both males.

"_Right_, Nidori. Let's go." Aomine grumbled, ready to turn away and leave but Kise would have none of that it seemed.

"You know each other?" It bubbled out of the blond curiously. His lips freezing in motion as his mind grasped what exactly was going on right now. For a second he looked left and right, searching for something or someone but then his eyes widened as if he was a five-year-old who had discovered a new toy. "No way, Aominecchi - are you, are you on a _date_, right now?"

"What if." The blue haired basketball player challenged him while he quirked a brow.

"_No way_, did you hear that senpai-?" Kise turned quickly around, his gaze searching for someone as his lips were pulled into a grin. But there was no one behind him, he stood all alone in the aisle and his shoulders fell as he realized that. "Eh? Senpai? Kasamatsu-senpai?"

Mia felt a strong hand closing around her wrist, a single tug was enough to pull her away from the model who started to whine, because his friend had apparently left him behind. The orange-head stumbled slightly on her first steps, but shortly after she adjusted to his pace. She followed Aomine obediently out of the shop. The two of them fell back into the stream of people, putting some distance between them and Kise before the basketball player finally came to a halt.

"How small is this god damn city..."

"Is he a friend of yours?"

The teen frowned. "...kinda..."

The girl glanced at the masses of people behind them, making sure that in between the unknown faces was no sudden glint of gold to be seen before she looked back to the basketball player.

"Well, he's gone now...want to get something to eat? We still got time."

* * *

><p>It was funny, really, how strange it could be.<p>

There were moments where she felt as comfortable as she had become with her classmate since they got to know one another. And then there were moments where she caught herself hesitating because of her damn brain and its stupid thoughts. Silly ones, really. But they existed nonetheless.

Aomine bit into a burger, licking his lips as some ketchup clung to his skin. They sat at the window side of the diner, eating fries and drinking coke because the movie still wasn't starting yet. It wasn't like they had any other options in a huge mall concerning food but she was simple, really, and if she had learned anything over the years, it was that you should never underestimate the good old burgers and French fries.

"So, he went to your middle school, too?"

The tall teenager nodded, chewing on his meal.

The orange-head raked through her mind, trying to put all the information, he slowly but surely offered somewhere into her mind. That guy with the glasses, the model - they looked like a colorful bunch of people and they all knew the tanned boy in front of her.

"You know many people..."

Aomine gulped down the portion of his meal, shortly afterwards snorting at her words.

"Many freaks, maybe."

Mia couldn't help but laugh, gnawing on a fry as she reached for her cold drink.

"Am I a freak too, then?"

Her classmate lifted an eyebrow, his elbows resting on the table as he cradled the burger in his hands. "Probably."

There it was. The comfortable atmosphere. It was a miracle in itself that she really was able to find something like that with the intimidating teenager - but somehow it appeared to be possible. They were able to talk, his snarky comments as present as ever and her mind had finally found peace. Or at least a break from all the thinking.

Her eyes rose to the clock on the wall as they finished their meal, the time had finally arrived where the movie would start. Mia pointed out that they should go; the trash was soon put away as they closed in on the cinema. As if it was something normal, something they were doing on daily basis. Instead of playing merely basketball in the park.

The tickets were bought, the counter where they sold the popcorn filled with many other people who wanted to have some of the sweet or salty treat. Mia didn't want to go without it as well, forcing them to stand in line as she got hold of her purse where her money was in.

"Nah, Nidori. Let's buy drinks, too."

The orange-head jumped as she felt his chest press against her back. It was just like a déjà vu from the day before yesterday. His chin pressing against the top of her head as he glared obviously bored at the signs above the counter where the snacks and drinks were displayed. Mia could feel the heat creep back into her face, because he was doing it again. No sense for personal space at all.

Stubbornly, she bit her bottom lip, her limbs tense as she continued to wait for her turn. Aomine leaned more of his weight onto her as he realized she wasn't stepping away, his body heat crawling through her clothes into her skin which probably only made her face glow more and more.

What was she supposed to do?

Mia had no idea, she couldn't think because her heart had started hammering against her ears. And as their turn finally came, she couldn't find her voice and the teen behind her took over the lead, grumbling their order while he still sounded as bored as ever.

At the very least, she found the strength to pay for half of it before he could overrun her there as well. She stared at him intensely as they moved towards their seats, but the back of his head wasn't helping. Not the lopsided grin either he threw over his shoulder once as he saw her staring.

This wasn't...you know...that thing there, right?

Mia cradled the popcorn as they sat down, her gaze thoughtfully watching the snack in her arms as Aomine's hand appeared. He stole a handful of the treat, shoving most of it into his mouth while slowly but surely a handful of other people joined them in the huge room.

"Aomine." She found herself saying quietly.

The blue haired teen still chewed, leaning further into his seat to get more comfortable with his long legs. "_Aah?_"

Carefully, she chose to stare right ahead, certain pieces of conversations made it through her thick head even though they hadn't done so before.

"As Kise asked you...if that was a date, you said _'what if'_...as in, you know, that it is-"

"'Cause it is." He deadpanned.

Mia's head whipped around towards him, meeting his dark blue eyes which stared right back at her. The lines in his face were hard, not a single motion or twitch convincing her that he was joking with her in any way. But then suddenly his face broke into a smug grin, one finger pointing at her glowing cheeks.

"You're blushing."

Oh, that stupid, _stupid_...

Scowling at him she scooped up a handful of the popcorn, throwing it at his face.

"_Aho_mine."

"Stop callin' me that." He narrowed his eyes at her, unfazed by her sudden attack with the sugary treat.

But the girl would throw so much more at him if she could, something hard and heavy. How did she ever think that he could kill her? He was arrogant, yeah, and had a way too big ego for his own good. However, he acted like a kid instead of a murderer, all those glares and teeth were nothing but show. Pursing her lips she turned away, aiming her glare at the screen in front of them.

The curtain finally moved aside, the light dimmed as the first few pictures were projected onto the huge cinema screen.

The girl was determined to never look at him again. She felt embarrassed and his words were nothing but confusing while leaving her with more questions than answers. She knew, she was blushing, she was always blushing. He should have learned that by now instead of just assuming things and teasing her.

Aomine on the other hand laid his arm onto the rest between them, easily occupying the whole space by himself. His grin had shrunken as his eyes were glued to the moving pictures in front of them. But nonetheless, the humor was still present in his expression, the hard lines had softened which they rarely did.

Mia had problems to fight off the tiny smile which was about crawl onto her lips as well.


	26. Day Fifty Three

I'm late! Gah!

_**- review section removed after story ended for better view -**_

I wanted to update it earlier but fanfiction net kinda acted weird? I couldn't access it at all, so SORRY for the delay! The feedback for the last chapter was **amazing**, I'm glad you enjoyed it even though I was kinda worried about the pace. This one here is pretty _short_ and again more of a time-plot-pusher without the blue haired prick in it, sorry about that, haha.

Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews. I hope you'll continue to enjoy this story!

Karen, I'm a little hopeful here...I _think_ I can finish this story on time. Muhahaha.

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><p><em><strong>DAY FIFTY THREE<strong>_

_"How should I know that?"_

"I don't know. Just tell me what you think."

She could hear the heavy sigh which came from the other line of the phone.

_"I think you're stupid."_

Mia sat up on her bed, grimacing at the insult she had just received by her dear friend. It was all nice and fine that Nanami was a very honest person but in moments like these...she really wished she'd at least try to stuff her opinion in some cotton and pillows.

"Nanami..."

The black haired girl moved around on the other line, some clothes were rustling which she had already folded and put back into her suitcase. Tomorrow she'd return from her trip and then the two of them could spend the rest of the summer break together, like they had planned. Maybe Mia should've waited until then to console her friend about her...it wasn't really a problem. Confusion? Trouble? Unidentified event which had occurred which she couldn't put in any folder in her mind yet and wouldn't let her sleep?

That was a _pretty_ long description...

_"Did you two talk afterwards?"_

"Well, no...we took the train, talked about the movie and as my stop came first I went off and he stayed on it."

_"I still can't believe you haven't been killed yet..."_

"Nanami."

_"Just saying."_ Her friend repeated in a forced sing-sang tune. _"But in the end, what does it matter to you?"_

The orange haired girl sighed heavily, falling back onto her bed again. The soft cushions beneath her body were comfortable and soothing against her skin, unlike her brain which was still hurting from all the thoughts and questions, it tried to answer. Mia was overchallenged here, she liked it simple. Why couldn't stuff be simple?

"What do you mean?" She drawled slowly, her dark eyes watching the ceiling above her head absent-minded.

_"It's obvious."_ Nanami scoffed. _"Did you want it to be a date?"_

Mia became quiet, her expression relaxing until every single emotion left her face. In every scenario, she had in mind, she never wondered about that. It all had been just half-hearted argumentations. Confused hands which pointed at the other side of her brain to escape the mess and chaos - but she never really thought about it like that.

"I don't know." The girl breathed in the end, furrowing her brow. Her face suddenly twisted in discomfort as she rolled onto her side. "It's all just so stupid."

_"Tell me. I don't want to find your corpse somewhere in the street in the future."_

"Not funny."

_"Someone of us has to keep that in mind."_

"Still not funny."

The orange-head became quiet once more for a moment, Nanami didn't reply which left them both in a comfortable silence. After a few seconds though, Mia couldn't help but sigh quietly, her eyes dropping in defeat.

"Alright, fine. It was funny."

Her friend chuckled over the line, definitely smiling which she rarely did. _"I know. I'm hilarious."_

Mia started to laugh as well, the worry from before disappearing in thin air as they found other things to talk about. About the photographs, their families, Nanami's cousins. And the movie she had seen. Anything else to keep her mind occupied and distracted from what had bothered her before. Only Nanami broke the flow of topics as she remembered something.

_"Oh, yeah. I read something about a street basketball competition. It's not far, at the Green Heaven Park in...a week, I think?"_ The black haired girl became quiet as she mused over her own words. _"Yeah, I think it was a week. Want to go and take a look?"_

"Street basketball?" Puzzled Mia turned around, back onto her back so that she could stretch her legs out. "Since when are you so interested in basketball?"

_"I'm not, but you are. I need to see what all the fuss is about, right? Never been to a real match before either just the practice once."_

"Street basketball competition, eh?"

Mia had never heard about that before. But it sounded interesting, the sport was intense and to finally see someone else play than the own high school team was probably interesting as well. Both girls had searched for ideas on how they should spend their time until the break ends. That sounded like something good.

"Sure, sounds good."

_"Great. Ah...I need to go now, we're going to eat dinner at the neighbor's."_

"Alright. See you tomorrow then."

Nanami returned the goodbye, promising that she'd call her right away when they were home before both of them hung up. The girl took a deep breath as she set the telephone aside. Her body was once more twisting and turning until she lay on her stomach, hugging a pillow close to her chest. She couldn't wait for Nanami to come back.

Her boredom could only be distracted as long as it could. To play video games all alone wasn't fun. She didn't have that many books anymore she could sacrifice and the ones she wanted weren't released yet to her dismay.

Mia sighed and closed her eyes. There always came a time where the break became too long, where you actually missed the daily events at school. Your classmates, the break...if only just the routine. And the orange-head was certain she had finally arrived at that time...although it probably would change immediately the second she saw Nanami.

_Did you want it to be a date?_

Frowning to herself she crushed the pillow in her arms, staring at television's screen which was black. The question made it sound so simple. As if it was merely a '_yes_' or '_no'_ situation. But Mia honestly didn't know it. She never ever thought about it, dates were something you read about in a manga. With all those silly, whiny girls and the boys who fought over her nevertheless.

But nothing fit the day she had met Aomine.

There was no clichéd being too late. There was no unbelievable staring or being mesmerized. It was her table neighbor...she had been scared of that guy not long ago. She would've never believed that the two of them would be able to live next to each other. A co-existence sounded already impossible. But now they were friends, kind of. They got along. She had fun when they hung out.

Sometimes, it was awkward for her because she was uncertain what they could talk about. All she knew was that he liked basketball. And those ridiculous magazines. Even the basketball topic was dangerous; he often looked like he hated it while he still knew everything about it. And next to that it was complete unknown land.

Even his friends were weird.

Groaning Mia buried her face in the pillow. Couldn't someone ask her something which was easier? Of course, she got nervous when he was so close, he was a guy - she wasn't used to have someone her age and of the other gender that close. But what did it mean to go on a date anyway?

She didn't know, Mia decided.

And why should she break her head over it?

"It was fun..." The girl mumbled into the pillow, slowly raising her head. "...that counts, right?"


	27. Day Fifty Six

Another day, another chapter.

- review section removed after story ended for better view -

Sorry about the rather late update today. I'm actually at friends right now? Tipping the chapter while playing a video game with them, it's rather hideous. I'm so easily distracted. That's why it took so long, sorry! I'll maybe edit it later on – because I couldn't really check it yet. I wanted to update nonetheless!

Thanks for all the favorites, follows and reviews!

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><p><em><strong>DAY FIFTY SIX<strong>_

Mia smiled at the cover in her hands, the new video game her father had bought her on a whim was something, she had her eyes on for a while. The characters on the picture looked like they had jumped right out of a fantasy novel. Swords and shields in their hands, the faces narrowed at the enemy in the distance who would be the main antagonist of the whole game.

Nanami could, of course, not spent her whole time with her after she came back. Even though the two girls had met up the previous two days in a row, she had to find something to do on her own today. The black haired girl had to go out with her family to a dinner which had been planned with their neighbors for a while. This meant that the orange-head had enough free time to try and beat the game until the two friends could see each other once more. The street basketball competition was taking place in four days...

Eagerly pushing the disc into the game station in front of her TV, she was determined to pull an all-nighter. For what else would you have summer break if not for staying up the whole night to play brainless video games? Mia didn't have a better answer so it was easy to plan the coming hours with nothing but great music, killing enemies and a hopefully good story.

That is, until her mobile phone started ringing, forcing her to look away from the screen which lit up and showed the title of the video game in broad and colorful letters. Furrowing her brow, Mia slowly approached her bed where the little device lay upon, checking the display carefully in wonder because maybe, just maybe, Nanami had found a way to escape the little family activity.

The display, however, read the name of Momoi Satsuki.

Mia grabbed the black phone, flicking it open with ease before she pressed it against her ear. "Yeah?"

"_Mi-chan..."_

The girl couldn't help but frown, the voice of the bubbly student on the other line sounded so quiet and sad. Something, she thought she'd never hear from the bright basketball club manager. But there always seemed to be a first for everything. Mia hesitated before she answered, her eyes wandering around her room for a second.

"Is something wrong, Satsuki-san?"

"_I don't know what to do."_ Satsuki confessed. _"Aomine-kun won't answer my calls at all since yesterday."_

Wait, what?

"What happened?" The orange-head asked which made her friend sigh deeply.

"_The coach told him that he is not allowed to play anymore...at least not in the last matches. He got injured at the last one...it, it would be dangerous for his body if he continued anyway. So I told the coach to..."_ Satsuki took a deep breath, it was hard not to hear the grimace on her face through the phone. _"...I'm just worried about him. He can be so...could you try to call him? For me? But please...don't tell him I told the coach to take him off the team."_

Mia sat down on her bed, her empty gaze staring at her TV where the title screen was still awaiting her attention. She hadn't heard anything from the blue haired basketball player since the movie – and that could surprisingly explain it, she guessed. Even if he had a rather complicated relationship with the sport, it was obvious that he did love it somehow. And to be told not to play anymore in a real tournament which was coming to an end...the girl bit her bottom lip, feeling the sympathy for Satsuki crawl along her nerves. Aomine could be so scary when he was angry.

"Well, I, I can try." The orange-head replied slowly. "But I can't promise anything."

"_That's more than enough!"_ Satsuki gushed in relief. _"Thank you, Mi-chan. I'll call you later, okay?"_

"Sure...?" Mia could barely mumble before the pink haired girl hung up. "...Mi-chan...?"

It wasn't like it bothered her that the other had shortened her name, but she always thought that her first name had always been already simple enough. Sighing, she shook her head, staring at her mobile phone which waited quietly for her to open her contacts and select the certain number of her tall classmate, who apparently, was not in his best mood. _Great_, her mind whispered, _just great_. Bored Aomine was easy to handle. Angry Aomine? Never, he was terrifying when he was in a bad mood.

Dreadfully, she pressed a few buttons, narrowing her eyes at his name. It wasn't like she wasn't worried about him – she could only imagine how he must feel like right now. But that Satsuki expected her to repair anything was the biggest overestimation someone ever had of her.

With the last bit of courage she had left in her bones, she called the certain blue haired teenager, pulling her legs towards her chest as she stared at the still glowing TV in front of her. At least the melody which was played was calm and soothing, the options of _'new game'_, '_loading_' and '_options_' were glaring at her in a bright white against the dark brown background.

She had only wanted to play her game in peace...

* * *

><p>"<strong>Aah?<strong>"

Aomine lifted his head slightly, pushing the pillow with his other arm away as he blinked at the wall on the other side of his room. His body felt drained, the sleep he had tried to get to forget the boiling anger in his guts had been too short. But he had felt like destroying something – anything. And after he had kicked the trash can on the street, he had found nothing else to tear into pieces.

The coach pissed him off, a man he rarely talked to had no right to tell him what to do and what not. His team was nothing without him, they wouldn't make it against his previous teammates. And just because that one old man deemed his knees as not good enough concerning their function, he told him to go to the bench. Aomine did not sit on a god damn bench.

"_Hey..." _It was Mia's voice on the other line, quiet and hesitant. _"...I heard from Satsuki-san what happened."_

The blue haired basketball player closed his eyes at the sound of the girl, the calmness in her breathing outweighed his throbbing head. He took a deep breath himself to ignore the trail of messy thoughts in his mind, every single one filled with anger and wrath. He had been told the news yesterday, but it still cooked the blood in his veins whenever he remembered that today was the match against Yosen High which took place without him.

"_How are you holding up?"_

Aomine couldn't help but scoff, turning onto his back while he stuffed the pillow behind his head.

"I'm pissed off, of course. It's bullshit." The teenager opened his blue eyes, narrowing his gaze until he glared at the ceiling above his head. "He shouldn't have stopped me. I could've crushed the other team easily, with my stupid knees or not."

"_That's harsh..."_

"It's true." He argued annoyed. "There doesn't exist anyone who can beat me. So who cares about some stupid injury."

"_Satsuki-san cares."_ Mia replied immediately. _"Your coach and the team as well, whether you believe it or not...I was pretty worried, too...you shouldn't take something like that lightly."_

Aomine furrowed his brow, the glare slowly but surely slipping away as his nerves calmed down to some extent. Strangely, it was easier to listen to her instead of Satsuki's argumentation. His childhood friend always tended to preach him, over and over again instead of listening to his rant. Although the girl had probably just given up at some point, because he was just too stubborn for his own good. In the end, it was refreshing, he guessed, to have someone who listened to him anyway. Calmly. Without judging.

"You worried." He deadpanned, stretching his legs while his knees stung uncomfortably.

"_Of...of course."_

Ah, he could hear it again. Her childish scowl on the other end of the line, her face slowly but surely turning into a light shade of red out of embarrassment.

_"Who wouldn't?"_

"It's just fucking annoying." He grumbles into the phone, even though his tense muscles finally relaxed. "I'm bored and can't do crap."

The teenager could hear the girl shifting on the other line, her calm breathing still soothing his senses as her attention got divided between him and something else. He listened attentively, but all he heard was the orange-head and some rustling as she seemed to move around.

"_Do...do you have a game station?"_ She asked slowly. _"I got a new game...if you're bored we could, like, play it together?"_

Aomine sat up on his bed, his narrow eyes ghosting over his bed and room which was certainly not as tidy as it should be according to his mother. Absent-minded he pushed a handful of shirts and pants off the corner of his bed, letting the fabric cascade down onto the cool floor where it surely had left his sight, even if it was only for a second. Maybe he should at least try to keep the floor acceptable...

"Yeah, I got one."

Silence.

For a second, no one of them spoke. Mia was busy blinking doubtfully at her TV, she hadn't expected him to actually say '_yes_' but now where he did she felt suddenly a bit uncertain about the whole situation. Aomine, on the other hand, waited. It was her turn to say something – anything - he sure as hell wasn't going to be the one who broke the silence. It was amusing for him how much he could imagine her face, scrunching up in concentration as she considered things. He hadn't seen her in quite some time, but her face was clear when he thought about it.

"_Where do you live?"_ Mia finally asked.

The blue haired teenager scratched the back of his head as he slowly turned towards the side of his bed. His bare feet touched the cool floor, his eyes once more landing on the small pile of shirts he had pushed off his bed a few seconds ago.

"I'll meet you at the station...just get off the Takanara Station."

"_Okay."_

* * *

><p>Alright.<p>

It was weird.

Why had she said that?

Mia had no idea what she had been thinking but her classmate had sounded so upset in his own way. Cursing, insulting his teammates. Being angry that he couldn't play anymore while basketball was such a big part of his whole life. The girl had immediately felt the need to cheer him up somehow, although she had no idea how she could do that. She couldn't do anything for his knees. Nor could she change the mind of his coach – who he thought to be at fault all alone. Aomine didn't really suspected Satsuki and if the orange-head knew one thing then it was that she surely wouldn't tell him that.

She promised that the pink haired girl.

But right now she was on her way to his home. He had waited just like he had said at the station, the lines on his face still hard, his hands stuffed into his pockets. She had wanted to try and smile as she greeted him but her gaze fell to his knees, of course. His summer pants which reached his knees revealed the tape which was wrapped around the joints. Mia frowned slightly at that sight, since when did he have that...?

They more or less mumbled a greeting, leaving the station behind. The two teenagers walked further into the district where he lived. Setting a quiet pace, since there was no hurry for either of them. And luckily, he didn't live far from the train station. Their path led them into a street where a handful of houses were lined up. Very similar to the vicinity where Mia lived, too. And as her classmate suddenly came to a halt in front of one of the houses, the orange-head couldn't help but stare. It was tall and simple, the roof dark and the walls white. Mia didn't know what she expected, but it looked so normal, it was kinda strange.

"My room is upstairs." Aomine drawled, kicking off his shoes after he had opened the door.

The girl's eyes ghosted curiously over the floor and small corridor which led towards the stairs and living room. She could hear the sound of a television not far away, a family member obviously present in one of the rooms as she carefully took off her shoes as well.

"I'm back." The teen next to her called out. He threw the keys in his hands back into a bowl on a small counter, one foot already set on the first step.

"Welcome back, honey." A female voice greeted, definitely older than her or him. She sounded slightly absent-minded as the noise of the TV rose. If anything, Mia was nearly a hundred percent sure that his mother – she believed – was watching a soap opera. Judging by the gasps and clash of voices. Her own mother watched the same ones, so she should know.

"G...good afternoon." The orange haired girl called out. Should she introduce herself? She didn't want to disturb anyone though. It was already strange enough to know that she was right now in the very house of her classmate.

Aomine's mother didn't react at first and for a moment both teenagers were sure that this would be the last reaction they would receive for the day. But before the blue haired teen was able to climb another step of the staircase which led to his room, they could hear the hectic movements of a person who quickly stepped into the corridor.

Mia froze out of surprise as a woman stepped into the corridor. She was actually slightly taller than her. Definitely pretty, even for her age and the wrinkles she had, indicated a smiling face. But in contrast to the boy next to her, she was rather pale, her eyes glowing in a deep familiar blue.

"Oh my, I knew that didn't sound like Satsuki-chan."

Quickly the orange-head bowed her head. "No, well, my name is Nidori Mia. Nice to meet you, Aomine-san."

The older woman smiled warmly at her, her gaze moving towards her son who had started to scowl. Unfazed by his horrible attitude, she must have already gotten used to over the years, she lifted an eyebrow. Challenging her dear son to say anything she didn't want to hear.

"It's rare for you to bring a friend home, Daiki."

The teenager grumbled something quietly to himself, turning his attention to Mia who had stood awkwardly in font of the door. "Come on, Nidori."

"Y...yeah." The girl smiled at his mother once more, bowing her head slightly to thank for the warm greeting and open home before she followed, rather relieved, her tall classmate up the stairs. Too embarrassed to actually exchange a few words with the lady of the house.

Aomine's mother, on the other hand, leaned onto the railing of the staircase, following the teenagers with her gaze before she smiled impishly to herself. And here she had been worried about her son and his lack of friends. All the more female friends next to Satsuki who had been taking care of him like a responsible big sister since they were small.

"Looks like he's feeling better..." She mused to herself, slowly turning back to the television in the living room. The smile, however, got quickly wiped off her face as she noticed the change of events her show had taken. "No way, I knew he was cheating on her!"

* * *

><p>"Hand me the game."<p>

Without making a fuss, she handed him the cover, her eyes were too busy checking out the room of the tall basketball player. How had she been able to come this far? She was right at the center of his very self, his home and his room. It didn't look as messy as she believed it would be. The dark covers of the bed were wrinkly because they had been only quickly brushed aside.

A desk which was used more or less for anything which was useless to pile it on top. And next to the TV and the game station he had told her about she saw a shelf in a corner. Only a few books found place there, the most space was used for medals and trophies. Her eyes widened as she approached the many prices. She had known he was good...but that was certainly impressive.

"Have you won all those in middle school?"

Her classmate barely looked up from the game station, his body crouched down as he pushed the disk into the little machine. Instead, his eyes were fixated on the cover, studying the characters and title with a bored expression on his face.

"Yeah."

"Amazing." Mia breathed, bending down to read the engraved words. First place. Every single one was for the first place. No matter which competition or tournament, that blue haired basketball player had won them all. She suddenly regretted it, to not have come to one of his matches before. No matter how and why, to really see Aomine in action must be pretty cool. Even if that guy needed to lose, in her opinion. How he spoke of other teams and players was discouraging...

"How do you wanna name the character?"

Startled, she turned back around to the blue haired teen who had sat down in front of his bed, leaning against it while the controller was already in his hands. Eagerly, she sat down next to him, her legs bumping into his ones which were bent at the injured knees. He had already started it, creating a new file without even waiting.

"I don't know – I always use my name."

Aomine snorted at that. "That's childish."

"Well, how do you call yourself then?" Mia asked him with a half-hearted glare.

"...Daiki."

The orange-head couldn't help but laugh out loud. So much for being childish herself, she thought. But Aomine frowned at her, bumping against her with his shoulder which nearly sent her flying to the ground. The girl caught herself before that, supporting her upper body with her hands as she straightened herself next to him once more. Her lips were still drawn into a smile though, unlike the basketball player next to her who stared ahead with a calm expression on his face.

"How about a mix or something?" She offered. "Aoni? Or Nidao?"

A grin finally broke out on his face as he started to chuckle. "That sounds _stupid_."

"Then suggest something better." She scoffed, hitting his calf.

Aomine didn't even flinch as she slapped him, his grin only widening as he started to press a few buttons. Curiously, she followed the movement on the screen. Her eyes moving with the cursor which slowly but surely pressed onto one letter after another.

"Not your name!" Mia argued as she realized that he was selfishly trying to use his instead of hers.

Aomine started to snicker, holding the controller far away from her reach as her attempt to grab it failed. The blue haired teen had already forgotten his bad mood from before, the boiling heat in his veins cooling down as he found himself relaxing with every second they continued to talk. Or argue. Their little battle ended with a damn nickname he had already heard from her a handful of times.

The hero of their adventure was called '_Ahomine_'.

Not that either of them minded that in the end.


	28. Day Sixty

Another day, another chapter.

_- review section removed after story ended for a better view -_

I have to keep this short this time, I'm a little busy here and there. Thank you for very much for all the favorites, follows and reviews! _**It's amazing**_.

This chapter here lacks fluff nearly completely. I'm so _sorry_ for that, Karen just _really_ loves Murasakibara and I wanted to include that guy no matter what. Soo, Mia and Nanami time + a little tiny, winy interaction between Mia and Aomine - I hope you'll enjoy it either way!

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><p><em><strong>DAY SIXTY<strong>_

"Sheesh...basketball really _is_ popular, huh?"

Mia held onto the arm of her friend as both of them stepped into the Green Heaven Park. The amount of people who were here was impressive, the most of them around their age if only a little bit older. The orange-head had learned that there was much more to the sport than she at first believed, but to see so many other teenagers and young adults gather here in order to play was amazing.

"And it's getting so hot..." Nanami grumbled quietly. "...do they sell drinks somewhere?"

"Sorry, I only brought snacks." Mia laughed. "But they're mostly from Germany, my grandma sent them a few days ago and they arrived just yesterday."

The girl at her side nodded, eyeing the plastic bag with curiosity. "You vouched for the chocolate so I'm pretty curious."

The two of them stopped in front of the big court which was closed off with fences. The place around it was still rather empty, the visitors scattered across the green grass as they enjoyed their brought meals and snacks. They had arrived right on a break between two matches so there was still enough time before the next one started.

Nanami leaned on to the railing and glanced at the big court before her eyes wandered towards the girl beside her.

"If it's still break - how about we go and buy drinks? If we hurry we shouldn't miss too much."

"Sure." The orange-head agreed. "There was a vending machine back there...wasn't it?"

Nanami's calm expression lit up and eagerly she tugged at her friend's hand to drag her along. Obviously, she really was dying in the summer heat but both of them had been silly enough to remember snacks but not drinks anyway. The two girls made their way through the crowd, passing other teenagers who sat on the sidelines next to the path to wait for next match to start.

It didn't take them long to arrive at the vending machine, Mia had mentioned. But her friend frowned as she scanned the rows of cans of many flavors and different kinds which were offered. Except the cool ice tea the black haired girl loved.

"Damn it...maybe there is another one nearby?"

"There should be." Mia reminded her. "At the other entrance of the park, right?"

Nanami licked her bottom lip in thought before she nodded. "Right. I'll go and buy there one, you want lemonade, right? I'll buy it, too. Go and find a good place for us."

Before she could do more than nod the black haired girl took off and jogged away. The break would be over soon and they had already arrived in the middle of the event, because both of them were sure they wouldn't have enough passion to watch guys play basketball for a whole day. Although now, they didn't want to miss the rest as well, of course.

Slowly but surely, the girl walked back towards the court and masses of people, digging through the plastic bag she had brought to see what her grandma had exactly sent her from overseas. The lovely old lady always sent her so many different things - gummi bears, chocolate and cookies. All sweets clad in colorful bags and packages, but over the years and visits to Germany, she had already gotten to know so many of them.

If she loved anything of the country her father came from then it was certainly the candy. She had been so young as they had moved to Japan, only the simple structure of the different language was left in her mind. Japanese had been hard to learn back then. All those symbols and strange letters had been her death in primary school.

It was funny how now it had become her second nature.

"Oh, sweet..." Mia breathed as she pulled out a chocolate bar. "Grandma remembered that I loved those."

"_Ooh~_...I haven't seen those ever before."

The orange-head froze as she felt a breath against her neck that hadn't been there before. With a startled gasp she turned around, coming face to face with a stranger who was still staring at the candy in her hand. His gaze scanned the violet package with a silent intensity while her heart had jumped into her throat out of surprise. She hadn't even heard him coming.

As the teenager noticed her though, for the first time it seemed, he blinked at her. He leaned back to straighten his body, he had bent down before to examine the package in her hand. Only then Mia realized, how much she had to crane her neck to keep up with his height and her eyes widened as he came to a halt.

He was even taller than her dad.

_No one_ was taller than Mia's father up until now. No one, not even Aomine although he was close to it. But this guy...this _teenager_ was it. The girl paled at that thought, the blood was drained from her face as she stared up at the expressionless face of a real titan. Was it even possible for Japanese people to be this tall? It should be illegal!

The eyes of the stranger were still glued to the chocolate bar after he had seen her face. His lips pursing in thought as he didn't budge in the slightest. Oh my god, what should she do? He could break her, couldn't he? Her dark gaze flickered to his hands; one was clinging as well to a white plastic bag while the other was empty. But these weren't hands, these were the paws of a bear.

Only the claws were missing!

Oh, how Mia wished that the blue haired basketball player was here. He always stood in between her and danger up until now. Whenever she was overchallenged or uncomfortable with a stranger he had been right there.

Nervously the orange-head threw her arm out, holding onto the chocolate bar with shaky fingers as she chose to offer it to the titan. The blood rushed into her face with the movement, glowing so brightly, she was sure her hair color paled in comparison.

"Aaah~ you're giving it to me?"

It was the strangest thing to hear him speak. The gigantic stranger spoke with such a lazy drawl in his voice, his eyes widening like the ones of a child as he studied the treat in her hand. He sounded anything but threatening, as if he was still sleeping to be honest. But his stature was terrifying her; she had never met someone who was as big as he was.

"Y-yeah...?"

Mia tried uncertainly. Even though he hadn't done anything to really scare her, she flinched as he grabbed the chocolate bar anyway, his lips pulling into a lazy, lopsided smile.

"Thanks, Orange-chin."

Orange? Oh. _Oh_, okay. Yeah, she got why. But all she could do was smile carefully in return, her feet taking a step back on their own accord.

"G...good afternoon, then?"

The titan had already opened the wrapping, biting into the sweet chocolate as he waved lazily at her. If anything he treated her like an acquaintance and not a stranger which was confusing to some degree. Although Mia would never question someone like him and his habits, really, as long as she escaped with all her limps, she didn't mind in the slightest.

Awkwardly she waved back, taking a few more steps to broaden the distance between the two of them before she more or less tried to run without running. It was a weird mix between walking and half jogging. But she was too eager to escape before the titan changed his mind. Just where was Nanami? She should've gone with her instead of saving her a place...

"There you are, Mia."

The orange haired girl looked up, only to see the very girl she had thought off. She stood already in front of the closed off court, the drinks in her hands. Her friend furrowed her brow glancing at her blushing face with a judging eye.

"What happened? What took you so long?"

Mia breathed a sigh in return, her hands pressing against her cheeks to get rid of the warmth.

"I, I'm not sure...I'm really not..." She stopped for a second. "_Never_ leave me alone again, Nanami."

"_Hah?_"

* * *

><p>After she had calmed down from her meeting with a '<em>gentle<em>', '_lazy_', '_strange_' titan, Mia actually found herself watching the upcoming matches with interest. It was amazing how good these people were, pulling stunts she had seen Aomine doing while still doing another trick here and there.

Nanami and she pointed out sometimes that they had seen their upperclassmen do that in practice. Both of them feeling something close to pride that they had obtained some knowledge of basketball in the past weeks - it wasn't much that was obvious, but it made them feel a bit better. A lot less like some teenage girls who randomly chose to watch a street basketball competition on a summer day, because they had nothing better do to.

Mia couldn't help but grin at the black haired girl; they had shared the snacks from her grandmother, her friend instantly falling in love with the different flavors which didn't exist in Japan. The competition continued, one team was winning against. Every group was obviously enjoying the competition. And all those people were really tall actually, the orange haired girl noted. She had never seen so many tall people in one place before in Japan.

_"The final two remaining teams in this tournament are high school teams!"_ The announcer called out. _"Who will win!?"_

Nanami leaned onto the railing, her calm expression turning towards the girl beside her.

"I got to say, basketball is pretty cool after all...who do you think will win?"

Mia joined her, holding onto the metal fence in front of them as she studied the different players. They all were strong, sure. But none of them moved like Aomine did, she had never realized how different the blue haired basketball player dribbled the ball or moved around in general before. It was strange.

"I wonder...but that red haired guy can really jump high." She mused quietly before she glanced at Nanami. "Don't you think that this is really useful to reach the hoop?"

"Mhm." The black haired girl hummed in agreement and their attention returned towards the match as the ref blew into his whistle to signal the start of the game.

The whole audience followed the orange orb as it was thrown into the air, every single visitor curious who would reach it first of the teenagers - but then it was stopped. Ever so simply by a stranger who had appeared on the court as everyone was too engulfed by the match which was about to start. Mia gaped at the titan, she had met over an hour ago, his figure was towering easily over the other players as he grabbed the ball.

"_No way._" She breathed, crouching down in fear he would see her in the crowd.

"Wha-? Mia?" Puzzled Nanami turned towards her but the orange-head refused to get up again.

Who knew if he would recognize her? She had no sweets anymore! Who knew how the titan would take these news? As if the heaven heard her prayer, her mobile phone started ringing. The orange-head couldn't have asked for a better excuse than that so she merely lifted the mobile phone to her still confused friend. Showing her that she had to answer the call, before she made her way through the audience to escape the noise.

Oh...Aomine? Surprised, she read the name of the blue haired teen on the display, flicking the device open to answer the call after she had created a little bit distance between her and the court.

"Yeah?"

_"...I kinda fucked up."_ He grumbled over the line without a greeting, although she already got used to that, she guessed.

"What?" Mia asked perplexed, her gaze glancing up at the sky which slowly darkened with the arrival of clouds. At least the heat would slowly cool off...

_"Satsuki threw her clipboard at my head."_

"H-hah?" That definitely caught her attention as she blinked at her feet. "Why would she...what did you do?"

_"...it was her stupid fault."_

"Aomine..."

The basketball player hesitated before he heaved a sigh in annoyance. _"Satsuki was the one who pulled me off the team. Today was the final, we made the second place and- who gave __**her**__ the damn right to decide whether I can play or not?"_

"She was only worried."

_"Still."_ He argued; his mood still too foul to forgive and forget. _"She ran out and won't answer my damn calls now."_

A raindrop hit her nose right then. Mia looked up in surprise as shower of rain greeted them. It quickly became worse, the last bit of the raining season haunting them as it seemed. Mia frowned at the sight, lifting a hand to weakly shield her eyes from the cool drops. Although that attempt was obviously futile, the weather had changed so quickly. Slowly, her eyes searched for Nanami who easily made her way towards her with an umbrella in her hand.

"I'll call her." Mia told her classmate on the other side of the phone. "But you should definitely apologize, Aomine..."

_"I know that."_ He grumbled in return, annoyed and sulky at the same time. Something which actually made Mia smile a little bit.

In times like these he always sounded like a kid.

"They called the match off because of the rain..." Nanami explained as she reached her, holding the umbrella above their heads. The orange-head looked up as her gaze wandered towards the court and people who slowly scattered and left.

Well, at least the strange titan had left, too...

Mia shrugged with her shoulders. They had seen a handful of matches and had a great time that was what counted. And for a moment she had actually forgotten Aomine who was still on the other side of the line. He was still angry at the coach and his team while his stubborn mind slowly accepted the fact that Satsuki only wanted the best for him. It was a relief that he at least was mature enough to reach that conclusion.

_"When do we continue the game?"_

His question was so out of place that Mia blinked a few times at nothing in particular. She had left that day as it had gotten too late and since then they hadn't met again. But that he still thought about it was strangely nice, her mind decided. Because she had thought about it as well. Nanami quirked a brow at the change in her expression, watching her while the orange-head tried to turn away to hide her embarrassment. It wasn't like she was desperately looking forward to see him again, but she was surprised herself how much she had started to enjoy spending her time with the blue haired teenager.

"Soon." Mia answered. "I'll...I'll message you later."

_"Fine."_

And then their call ended. She still had to call Satsuki to see if she was able to mend their fight - the bubbly club manager maybe ignored her classmate's calls but she'd never ever ignore hers. Mia's face heated up as she glanced at the smug smile Nanami wore beside her.

"Don't say a word."

"I'm not saying anything." The black haired girl exclaimed way too innocently.

"Shut up."

Just maybe, really only _maybe_ she had wanted that one day to be a date as well, Mia grudgingly accepted...quietly, _very_ quietly somewhere deep in her thick, stubborn mind.


	29. Day Sixty Five

Another day, another chapter.

_- review section removed after story ended for a better view -_

Phew, I'm always struggling with the timeline because my chapters tell of daily events. The Winter Cup starts in November! And we've merely reached the end of August...if anyone of you ever wondered - yeah, I sketched down the timeline, events, plot and I count the days and which month we've reached. Gotta look how to bridge the time with events, haha.

Thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews!

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><p><em><strong>DAY SIXTY FIVE<strong>_

"That boss is bullshit!"

Aomine let the controller slip out of his hands as the two of them watched their character fall to his knees. The last health points they had, vanished into thin air while the gigantic dragon screamed and breathed fire in victory. It had been his second _'game over'_ against the boss of this certain level. Something which actually made Mia smile secretly, though she tried to hide it from his nasty gaze.

"The only one who can beat you, is _you_...huh?"

The orange haired girl could feel his heavy glare on the back of her head. The basketball player lay on his bed, using his elbows to support his upper body while he faced the TV in front of them. Mia had chosen to sit on the floor for several reasons, first, she was better at playing while sitting up and not laying around. And second, because it was obviously not normal to sit on the damn bed of a guy around her age.

She couldn't believe that she was at his home again anyway.

His mother had already recognized her, smiling and chatting before her son had pushed her up the stairs to escape the innocent looking interrogation. Parents could be so nosy...she definitely could relate to that.

Right now, however, she tried to fight off the grin as Aomine gave her a light shove, grumbling something quiet to himself. But she had _finally_ found something, she could compete in with him. Video games. Basketball was a lost cause and school didn't matter to him. But the blue haired teen got easily pissed at the animated figure on the screen when he lost while she had actually solved one or two riddles he couldn't.

To say the least, she did feel the pride swell in her chest.

"Shut up." He mumbled, his body shifting as he folded his arms to rest his head upon them. His navy eyes were watching her as she reached for the controller. "He wouldn't stand a chance against me in basketball."

Mia started to laugh, starting the level again as she glimpsed at the rather bored expression on his face. "It's a dragon." She deadpanned. "How in the world should it even play?"

The girl could see his eyes darken as he scowled at her and the simple argument she delivered. That was the very thing, she had started to enjoy when she was with the basketball player. How she slowly could see the difference between the grimaces and frowns he formed when he was annoyed or angry. That guy looked less and less like a serial killer to her. Thank god for that.

"Oh yeah, you had mentioned a few days ago that our school took the second place in InterHigh, right?"

Aomine blinked at her sudden change of the topic but her attention had already landed on the TV as she continued the game. He propped his chin with his one hand as his gaze wandered lazily between the girl and the screen in front of them. He hadn't really cared about their loss in the final because he didn't even attend it...but he found himself feeling annoyed anyway.

"Yeah...'cause I couldn't play."

Mia's head twisted around for a second to scan his profile before she looked forward again. "Who had won then?"

"Rakuzan High."

"Rakuzan High?" She echoed quietly. "Isn't that an elite school in Kyoto?"

The blue haired teenager sighed as he tried to get more comfortable on his bed. His feet kicked his pillow further aside to get more space for his long legs, it felt like he had grown a bit over the summer. His bed was already pretty long in size but his soles were touching the headboard of it when he stretched them out completely.

"Yeah. But the Winter Cup is coming, I'm goin' to crush them all there."

Mia found herself wondering how many other tournaments existed out there. First InterHigh and now a Winter Cup? Did such tournaments exist for all sports in high school, too? The orange-head merely watched the character on the screen with half-hearted interest as her thoughts started to circle around the topic and the guy behind her.

"...will your knees be alright 'till then?"

Aomine started to grin lazily at the back of Mia's head who had become quiet as she didn't hear an answer from her classmate. Slowly she paused the game, turning around to the tall teen whose expression suddenly spoke of some kind of arrogance, he hadn't carried around before - something which puzzled her as she furrowed her brow.

"What?"

"Ya really like me, eh?" He drawled confidently.

"Wha-?" Mia could feel the blood rush into her face, her surprise quickly twisting into an annoyed frown as she looked away. Just why did he always have to destroy the calm atmosphere they had created with some stupid, stupid comment or assumption? Every time when she thought, she had found a comfortable zone in between the space their friendship moved, he found a way to turn the tables.

His grin only broadened as he saw the tip of her ears glowing, a deep chuckle resounding in his throat as his amusement pushed all his previous annoyance and boredom away.

"You care." He continued, suddenly smug and Mia's face scrunched up as she bit her bottom lip.

Why had she thought it was a good idea to come here again?

"_Of course_." She argued. "You were hurt, who wouldn't care?"

"Hm..." Aomine's grin shrunk as he breathed a hum. His eyes were watching her stiff form as she stubbornly continued to play the game. She wouldn't let him tease her. Not anymore. Or at least not right now, she decided. She was going to beat that damn dragon and then she would point out how much better she was than him at this game.

As the basketball player realized that she had set her mind on ignoring him, he leaned forward, burying his face in the crook of her neck and shoulder which was easy to reach thanks to his position on the bed and hers on the floor. He successfully pulled a gasp from her, her body jumping at the sudden contact she hadn't expected. The controller nearly slipped out of her grasp, but she held onto it in the very last second.

"Aomine!" She breathed. "W-what are you-?"

"Shut up, I'm tired."

Mia furrowed her brow once again, she couldn't really move with his head right next to hers. His short blue hair was soft and tickled her neck and cheek while his skin felt unknown and strange against hers. If her head was ever close to exploding due to the maximum of blood which had crawled into her face then it surely would have to be now.

The orange-head had never thought about it before, but she was sure that even he could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage. The pulsating noise reaching up to her neck and ears where she could hear the organ hammering and beating out of surprise because of the invasion of her personal bubble.

Against her own will, she forced herself to calm down. Her frozen limbs were slowly relaxing again thanks to the deep breath she took. It were a few seconds, the girl believed. But her body was melting back into the bed behind her like before. Aomine didn't move though as he even closed his eyes, easily accepting the spot he had found as his new pillow while Mia struggled to keep her nerves at bay.

What was she supposed to do?

It felt like they were moving on different pages in a book.

"You're coming to one of my matches then, right?" The blue haired teen drawled, his voice slightly muffled by the sweater she wore. "At Winter Cup."

It wasn't like her heartbeat had calmed down at all. But at the sound of his calm, deep voice, she found the strength to breath regularly again. Her lungs welcomed the oxygen, she had forgotten for a second even though her nerves were still tingling where his forehead touched her shoulder.

"Sure..." Mia croaked weakly. "I'll be there."

Aomine didn't answer afterwards, his body relaxing further and further into her tense shoulder instead. At least one of them found comfort, because the orange haired girl could barely keep her concentration on the animated figure on the screen in front of them.

She never beat that damn dragon either on that day.


	30. Day Seventy One

Another day, another chapter.

_- review section removed after story ended for a better view -_

Again, I must keep it short. I'm going to leave in like ten minutes to meet up with friends but I wanted to update before that - maybe I'll edit it later when I'm back! Thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews! It's every day amazing to read your messages, I'm happy that you're enjoying this story just as much as I am.

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><p><em><strong>DAY SEVENTY ONE<strong>_

Mia couldn't believe that summer break was really over. The first week back in school went by in a blur, the teachers returned with their homework and long speeches. The daily routine of waking up early and catching the train in the last minute felt suddenly like a drag once more. And she had actually missed that some time in summer. Unbelievable.

What had changed the most though, was probably the lack of fear she had felt before summer break. Her tall classmate still barely made it on time. Thanks to Satsuki, he even _appeared_ shortly after the bell had rung. Most of the time that is. But his enthusiasm concerning school still seemed to be anything but great. However, whenever they saw each other in school, there was no urge to go and hide anymore. To fear her death or anything like that - those thoughts had disappeared completely.

She could walk down the corridor with Nanami, talking about nothing in particular. And when the two saw each other on their way - only passing by - she could actually smile. Yeah, well, Aomine merely nodded his head wordlessly or when he felt like it reached for her head. Ruffling her hair while messing up the hairdo she had neatly created with her hairclip in the morning.

But it didn't feel like a threat.

Mia felt herself relaxing in her seat as lunch time came around. Her dear friend picked at her lunchbox with a slight frown, the onions in between the fried meat was something she disliked since she was a child. And her mother still tried to get her to like the certain vegetable by hiding it with her favorite treat.

"So, on the day, when we were at the street basketball thing, they had fought?"

The orange-head nodded; surprised that she hadn't told her friend sooner about the call and the following events.

"Yeah. Satsuki-san said that she was worried that Aomine would hate her...but she had already talked to a friend of hers about it...she called him Tetsu-kun."

Nanami chewed on her meal. Furrowing her brow.

"I have never seen her talk to someone here with such a name."

Mia bit into her sandwich, shaking her head as she was still trying to gulp down the portion of her lunch. She had thought the same. But the pink haired girl had been way too eager on the phone to tell her about the certain person, the voices in the background were hard to miss either. However, in the end the fight had ended quickly between them. The orange-head was certain that the years Aomine and Satsuki knew each other were a lot more important than a single disagreement.

It must be great to have someone who's like a sibling...being an only child could be lonely sometimes.

"Well." The girl finally started, after she had gulped down a piece of her meal. "She said, she was at a high school not far from here. Uh, Seirin High, I think? Her friend attends it but she knows him since middle school."

Now where she thought about it...did that mean that Aomine knew him as well? She had already met two of his previous fellow students, who had been quite a handful in her opinion. He knew the model everyone talked about, for god's sake. If that wasn't something then she didn't know what could be.

"Oh, I know that school." Nanami's eyes lit up. "Remember that last match? Before that gigantic guy appeared - the one team was from that school."

Mia leaned onto her table, the sandwich nearly slipping out of her grasp. "_No way_."

The black haired girl nodded knowingly, her chop sticks trying to catch another meatball she had freed from the onions. Mia hadn't really listened to all the names the announcer had thrown around, there just had been too many other middle schools and high schools whose students had attended the small tournament. It was a relief that her friend, on the other hand, remembered it.

"Yes way." Nanami countered calmly. "I think, it was the one team with the red haired guy. The one who jumped so high."

"The world is surely small..." The orange-head mused, nibbling on her sandwich as both of them remembered the certain summer day.

It would've been a too big coincidence if one those guys had been the very Tetsu-kun, the basketball club manager talked about. But Mia had to confess that she had never heard Satsuki bubble on and on about a single person like that before. He must really be a great guy, she had already sounded a lot better on the phone too - Mia had expected a crying girl on the other side of line to be honest.

Shrugging with her shoulders, she continued the meal with her friend. The bell rung soon and Nanami collected her lunchbox and drink before she slowly returned to her seat in the front. Mia sighed as she cupped her chin with both of her hands, laying her elbows onto the table's surface to wait until the teacher appeared to start the next lesson.

She _still_ wasn't really a fan of History.

Her whole body jumped in surprise as she felt a presence behind her chair, the warmth of another person pressing against her back as her head quickly looked up to see who it was. It shouldn't have startled her as much as it did but, of course, it was the blue haired basketball player who hunched slightly forward to meet her eye.

"Wha-?"

It should have already gone hand in hand that her cheeks warmed up. He decided to appear whenever he wanted after he had disappeared. Probably to the roof - it was a miracle though that he had returned just in time to not be caught by the teacher.

"I forgot my homework."

Mia found herself scowling at him, her inner mind trying everything it could to get rid of the annoying blush. He could have just asked her normally. He _could've_. But no, of course he would try to startle her like that. Using every chance and opportunity he had to bug her in any way. She could even see the amusement in his eyes until she averted her gaze stubbornly. She felt so silly for reacting like this, too.

"I won't let you copy them all the time..."

The tall teen moved away from her back, choosing to waltz towards her left. Where his own desk awaited him at the very least. Her dark gaze flickered towards his familiar expression, scanning the tanned face of the basketball player who was still watching her with a silent, lopsided grin on his lips.

Out of the pocket of his uniform's sweater, he pulled a spicy bread, laying the treat onto her table. That damn, sly, stupid guy, her mind hushed as she stared at the delicious bread he had bought. With a heavy sigh, she pushed her book aside and grabbed the notebook beneath it.

"You know, Aomine. You could just do your homework instead of making your long way to the cafeteria every time."

Mia handed him her notes which he accepted swiftly, crouching down beside her table to flick it open in front of her eyes. She merely watched how he apparently chose to copy of her homework on her desk instead of his own one, his narrow gaze wandering between their notebooks as he scribbled down one word after another.

"_Nah_." He drawled lazily. "Too much of a hassle."

But the cafeteria was a lot more of a hassle, she thought quietly. There were many other students who bought their lunch there and that was the very reason why she didn't go there every day to buy the spicy bread, even though she really liked it.

Mia supported her chin once more with a hand, watching her classmate copy her homework with that horrible handwriting he had. By the sound of whispers and clattering chairs however, she quickly looked up - only to see the teacher step into their classroom with the same bored expression, he always wore at the end of a school day.

"Teacher is here." She mumbled.

"Ain't finished yet." He grumbled in return.

The orange-head knew so many excuses and arguments she could point out as to why he could just sit down on his own seat, taking her notebook with him even so he could finish copying in peace. But if she had learned anything till this day, than it was that he was most stubborn guy she had ever come to known.

And in the end she still let him copy her homework anyway...every single time.


	31. Day Seventy Five

Another day, another chapter.

_- review section removed after story ended for a better view -_

I hope you won't mind the little time jumps I'm going to take because the Winter Cup is really far away but the events which occur around that time are so important. I want to cover them as well. And I do hope that the pace of this chapter fits, I got a little bit uncertain by the end - but the fluffiness needed to be written, haha.

Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews! You guys are amazing!

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><p><em><strong>DAY SEVENTY FIVE<strong>_

"It's his _what_?"

Satsuki pressed her hands together, smiling sheepishly at the girl in front of her with her pleading big round eyes. Even as a girl herself, there was no way Mia wouldn't realize how much of a natural beauty her fellow student was. Her charm was overflowing and maybe even a bit manipulative, whether the basketball club manager was aware of it or not.

"His sixteenth birthday. He hates celebrations...but I just can't _not_ do anything!"

The orange-head glanced at a few students which passed them in the hallway in front of her classroom, she hadn't really expected to hear this from the girl in front of her. But that damn basketball player had never uttered a single word about his birthday coming up like this. Now she actually felt a bit guilty for not congratulating him in any way.

"Well...what am I supposed to do?"

Satsuki's eyes lit up, her smile growing in size as she grasped Mia's hands.

"I've already talked to his parents, I want to throw a little party - with cake and all that. Sakurai-kun is going to help me decorate...so I need someone who keeps him busy until then."

"You say that as if it's easy..." Mia mumbled doubtfully.

"Come on, Mi-chan! _Please_."

It should be called an extreme sport to say _'no'_ to Momoi Satsuki. It was close to being impossible, no, it _was_ impossible. There was just something about her which made her so endearing, whether she was asking or demanding for something and Mia found herself quickly lulled in by the warm smile and rosy-red orbs which twinkled in delight.

"...alright, fine. Okay. Keep him busy...I can do that, I guess." Mia gave in defeated. "For how long?"

"I'll text you!" Satsuki quickly gushed."This will be great."

"Yeah..._great_..."

But even though she had said she'd distract him...she didn't know how she was supposed to do that. The pink haired girl made it sound so simple. There was nothing easy if the basketball player was involved. He always found a way to complicate it somehow. One way or another. However, Satsuki was quick to disappear afterwards, waving goodbye before she turned around the corner, down the hall to return to her classroom.

So...how was she supposed to do this?

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><p>"<em>Hah?<em>"

Aomine quirked his brow, his eyes studying her with such an intensity which made her fidget on her chair. _Right_. It sounded weird. She should've said something else. Stupid Satsuki, stupid plan. Stupid birthday. She could already feel the blood creep into her face, her gaze slowly wandering to the blackboard in front of them to escape his stare.

_"It's a spin-off...I...I just thought, because we got stuck at the dragon that it would be cool to check it out..."_

Maybe she should have proposed to play basketball. It was a lot easier to get him to agree if it was about the sport...instead she had told him about the game at the arcade she had seen, as she was in the shopping district with Nanami. It was a simple battle game, character versus character, but it was about the video game they had started to play together.

In her mind it had sounded like good idea.

Now she just felt embarrassed.

_"I'm in."_

Her dark eyes quickly flickered back to his as she heard his quiet reply. At first she didn't trust her own ears but as she saw the familiar lazy grin crawling onto his lips, she felt relief filling her heart. He had actually said yes. Even though she often disliked his annoying grin, she couldn't help but smile back. And her attention returned to their teacher in the front as she tried to hide her lips behind her hands.

That was a lot easier than she had expected after all.

Nanami was busy after school anyway; her Literature Club had a lot to do since the Culture Festival was slowly closing in on them. And in contrast to other clubs they needed a bit more time to prepare to show off what they had to the visitors. Her parents didn't mind it if she said she was meeting up with a friend instead of going home right after school either.

Mission _'Keep Aomine busy'_ sounded suddenly possible yet again.

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><p>"Ha!" The blue haired teen called out, pumping his fist into the air.<p>

Mia scowled at the screen in front of her, unbelievable how lucky he got by the end of their match. That one move had saved him from losing against her. But even though it was such a close call, she could _literally_ feel his arrogance in the air, growing and growing even though he sat on the other side of the arcade cabinet.

"Rematch, I want a _rematch_."

She could hear his snicker over the noise of the other people and games, before his head appeared beside the machine. He was such a sore winner, she couldn't help but think. She couldn't let him have this whole triumph, there was no way she would be able to fall asleep tonight if she always had to remember this stupid grin on his face.

"Ya really think you can beat _me_?"

"I _won_ the round before that!" Mia argued.

Her classmate just loved to forget the times he had lost in something against her. At her statement his grin shrunk even though it didn't disappear completely while his gaze slowly started to wander around the hall they were in. Satsuki still hadn't texted her yet, and they had already played this game for about an hour. Not to forget the time they had needed to even arrive here.

The orange-head wasn't sure how long she was able to keep him busy anymore.

As if he had heard her thoughts, Aomine suddenly chose to stand up, stretching his long legs as he grabbed his school bag. "I ain't risking losing against you again, let's do somethin' else."

The girl couldn't help but laugh quietly at his logic. Slowly, she reached for her bag as well, her eyes traveling through the arcade to look for something else they could play. But there were so many different games from grapplers next to other coin machines. It was hard to decide what you should try out next.

"Any idea?" She asked him instead, craning her neck to look up at him.

"We could go to my place and continue to play the real thing."

At his suggestion Mia's face paled. That was the very thing they shouldn't do! The tall basketball player took her silence as a _'yes'_ however, and shouldered his bag. He turned away from the game automat they had been playing at, as the orange haired girl quickly grabbed the end of his blazer to keep him from leaving.

Surprised at the sudden force which kept him from moving forward, he glanced over his shoulder. Lifting an eyebrow, he stared at Mia whose face slowly gained more and more color. Her body always had to react faster than her damn mind, hadn't it? It was terrible. What was she supposed to say?

"...already?" She tried helplessly. "I, I mean we could do something else. It's not like we're here everyday..."

At this he turned fully around to her, her grasp on his blazer slipping away as she blinked carefully up to his suddenly expressionless face. Even she knew that she sounded suspicious. It didn't need much to figure out why she didn't want him to go back yet, at least for Mia it sounded more or less obvious. The question was if the same thing applied to her tall classmate.

"What do you wanna do then?" He drawled with the typical lazy slur in his voice.

There was only one thing which popped into her head immediately.

"Get ice cream."

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><p>The convenience store wasn't far from the game arcade, the way easily conquered by feet. And after the teenagers had browsed through the aisles - Aomine lingering a bit too long where the magazines were - they stood at the counter to pay the cool treat. It was probably a dull idea, but it was the first one she had and the blue haired basketball player went along with it with a shrug of his broad shoulders.<p>

If only Satsuki would finally sent her a message...

The teens left the store, nibbling at the popsicles as Mia tried to force all the gears in her head to turn and twist. There must be more to do here. It was the shopping district after all. Hell, it was Tokyo! But next to the arcade and several shops she didn't know, what else could be used as a distraction? Looking for clothes? Yeah, _right_.

Aimlessly, they started to walk down the sidewalk. Fleetingly talking about the spin-off game they had played and their obvious disagreement who was better at it. Aomine was definitely too stubborn to leave her the title as the better gamer, but she didn't mind it as long as he wouldn't propose once more to go to his place.

"I won against a handful of friends in middle school." Mia said confidently, the ice slowly melting in her hand thanks to the late summer heat.

"_Tch._ They probably just sucked at it. I never lost against my friends."

Curious that their turn of conversations had led them back to his middle school, she chose to try and find out more about it.

"You mean the guy from the summer festival?

"Nah, not four-eyes." Aomine grumbled before he bit off a piece of his popsicle. "I played a lot with Kise back then. And Tetsu."

Surprised Mia stopped walking at once. She had heard _that_ name before. That friend of Satsuki who attended Seirin High, she had known that he must have been friends with her tall classmate as well. But if the bubbly girl had such a high opinion of him, she couldn't help but ask herself why he had never brought him up before. Maybe because it just never came up?

"Nidori."

Aomine had stopped walking as well, his body slightly turned towards her as he furrowed his brow.

"Yeah, sorry."

Quickly, she started moving again. The many strangers on the sidewalk made it a bit hard to catch up, who would have expected that on a Friday afternoon the shopping district was already so busy and full of life? Dodging a stranger here and there she closed in onto her tall classmate whose head was easily spotted by her eyes over the many other people who didn't reach his height.

And as she finally reached him, she could see his frown clearly.

"Just thinking." She said quietly before her eyes fell to the popsicle in her left hand, the cool treat was nearly already finished. "When we're already on a sugar rush...how about some cake?"

Aomine snorted although his frown slowly slipped away. "You sound a lot like someone I know."

"Well, you can never do something wrong with cake, can you?"

The basketball player actually laughed breathlessly at that. He shook his head slightly before he started to walk down the sidewalk once more, his mind set on a store she didn't know yet.

"I know a place." He said while he easily moved against the river of unknown people which moved against their direction.

For the tall basketball player it was easy anyway, she mused. With his stature and appearance no one would want to step into his way voluntary. There surely were quite a handful benefits he had thanks to those attributes which she lacked. Although maybe it wouldn't be really great to be this tall as a girl...in Japan nonetheless, in the western world it was probably easier...

"Come on."

Aomine glimpsed at her over his shoulder, making it sound like as if it was all her fault that she wasn't a walking _'get out of my way'_ sign like he was.

"I'm trying."

The basketball player frowned slightly, his tongue clicking dissatisfied at the distance which was slowly building up between them thanks to the busy part of the street they had reached. In the end, he surprised her like always, reaching for her hand with his own one. With a single tug he yanked her forward, past an adult who hadn't seen her before until she was walking right behind him.

Mia gasped before she was able to win back her balance after a few unsteady steps, her fingers were clinging onto his hand to not crash onto the pavement in front of so many people. That would be just a terrible, embarrassing situation, she certainly didn't need today. But he never even thought about warning her for once, did he?

His plan though, no matter how simple it was, worked. The atmosphere alone around him felt like a shield against the strangers, no one bumped into them or came too close. It took them a few minutes but in the end, they reached the end of the busy part of the district. Both teenagers came to a halt at the street as the pedestrian lights signaled them red.

If anything, it was all good and nice if it wasn't for the fact that Mia's grip had long ago loosened on his hand while the basketball player still refused to let go completely.

It wasn't like he was clinging on to her hand, the hold he had on her was slack. But it was enough to feel the rough, calloused skin of his palm and fingertips. Something which reminded her faintly of the day she had tried to give him a challenge by tying a handkerchief around his fingers to handicap him. Although this time the situation was completely different. Back then she hadn't even thought or realized how easily a touch could make her nervous.

Speechlessly, she glimpsed at his profile which looked so strangely calm. He didn't even flinch in the slightest while her nerves were frozen in place. His face was a perfect facade for a poker match in contrast to hers.

She...should pull away, right?

Well, it sounded like she should at least.

But the orange-head bit her bottom lip instead as she lowered her chin to hide the crimson colored cheeks she knew she had. Damn him and his stupid..._everything_. How was she supposed to know what to do, when it was hard to calculate what he was thinking? All he did was teasing and bugging her, his rude and plain comments excluded for a moment. Every time it felt like they were running and he was far ahead of her while she struggled to catch up to him.

Finally, her mobile phone went off, the short melody felt like a life savior who pulled her out of the sea of thoughts in her mind. Carefully, she dug with her free hand through her school bag until she found the certain device, her thumb quickly pressing a few buttons to open the message she had received.

_'We're ready!'_

About damn time, her heart was dying here!

Mia felt another tug on her hand, the light had changed into a bright green. And as she started walking again, she was able to spot the store the basketball player had mentioned. A big sign above the entrance spoke of a colorful store while the display window showed off a handful of creative creations.

The girl stared at their joint hands in bewilderment, her fingers itching to finally react even though she didn't know what to exactly do either. She knew that Aomine was bronzed, his tanned skin always stood out next to their rather pale classmates. But right now, with her hand in his, it became so painfully clear. The size differed a lot, his long fingers were easily cupping her thin knuckles - her bright skin was nearly disappearing in the tanned cage. A boy's hand was not comparable to a girl's one.

With another jump of her heart into her throat, she narrowed her gaze in determination. Her nerves were finally melting as she flexed her fingers.

She suddenly held onto his hand firmly.

As if to see if she had provoked some kind of reaction out of the teenager, Mia's gaze flew up to his face. But he didn't even respond in the slightest. He blinked, _yeah_. But the girl couldn't be sure if it was because of _her_ action or if he just blinked at that moment because _every damn human_ on this planet had to blink once in a while.

The only thing she felt was how his hold slowly tightened as well.

Mia's face was probably not recognizable anymore, her forehead was set in wrinkles as she didn't know what to feel or think. On which page of this book were they right now? The same one? Or were they still stuck at complete different chapters?

The orange-head breathed in the air around her, in hope it would calm the turmoil in her head. Aomine wasn't helping her in the slightest as his gaze wandered around the place nonchalant, his attention everywhere except on her.

Although maybe that was good, she decided quietly, because she sure as hell wouldn't know what to do if he'd ask her something right now. She would probably just explode or something. _Yeah_, that sounded good. Explode and disappear right in an instant.

"Let's buy some chocolate cake..." Mia mumbled instead.

"If it's supposed to be my birthday cake, then I want cherry 'though."

Her body froze as she gaped up at him, her mouth open in shock. The calm expression he carried finally slipped away as a broad grin spread on his lips, showing off his sharp white teeth. He had known! Her mind yelped. He had known the whole time that she knew - how _much_ did he know? Had he been laughing behind her back all this time?

"_How_! You-"

Aomine snickered, his blue orbs staring at the display window of the cake shop in front of them instead. The orange-head couldn't help but do the same, but instead of really looking at the sweet and colorful cakes which were shown behind the thin glass, all she could see was their reflection.

His smug grin was still in place.

"Satsuki sucks at keeping secrets. Seriously."

Mia groaned, her embarrassment suffocating her as she crouched down. Her legs suddenly felt like jelly, all what she had been doing was for naught. He had known from the start that she had been trying to distract him, entertaining her obliviousness while he probably had to keep himself from laughing at her silly antics. Oh, how she hated him for that.

"_Aho_mine." She cursed to herself, pressing her free hand against her face to hide her flushed skin.

Mia could feel how the teenager crouched down next to her, the two of them probably receiving a few strange glances here and there, because they were still on the sidewalk in public. And even through her hold had loosened because all her muscles were fading, she believed, he still didn't let go.

"This is all so stupid..." She mumbled into the palm of her hand.

"I had fun."

At the sound of his deep voice, she found the strength to glimpse at his face which was right next to hers. The hand she had used to somehow hide her face from anyone's eyes slipped slowly away, as she narrowed her eyes sulkily at the damn grin he still wore on his face. Of course, he thought this was all funny. That stupid, arrogant jerk. He had known. He had known all this damn time.

"You're blushing." He pointed out.

Yeah, rub salt into the wound. As if it wasn't bad enough that she was already dying here, her heart trying to eat her from the inside with its erratic beat...it was ridiculous. It was all so damn ridiculous. And even though she couldn't stand his annoying amused grin, she didn't find the strength or heart to pull her hand away.

"No shit, Sherlock..." She whispered gruffly.

Aomine chuckled at her weak insult. It felt like the beginning all over again, where she had wished he'd just stay away and forget instead of staying. But with an ease she didn't know he possessed, he leaned forward, pressing his cool forehead against her burning temple. The laughter was still resounding from his throat. The sound sent shivers down her spine, he wasn't being fair at all in her opinion.

"So, I get a birthday party."

"Yeah."

He sighed, his breath ghosting over her skin while he closed his eyes in slight annoyance.

"I hate that stuff."

Mia was finally able to smile slightly at that. Satsuki had been right, he didn't sound thrilled at all. Who would have known that people really existed in this world who hated birthday parties? But it shouldn't surprise her, she guessed. He was a very moody guy after all.

"I heard."

Carefully, she gave his hand an assuring squeeze. Her head slightly pressed against his forehead as she watched the pavement beneath them as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Well, it was at least easier to look at than his grinning face.

"...happy birthday, Aomine."

In the end, they bought both types of cakes while Satsuki and the basketball team members - who were more or less voluntary there - waited for the return of the blue haired teen. If only the bubbly pink haired girl knew how her childhood friend had foreseen all her actions since the very beginning.


	32. Day Eighty

Another day, another chapter.

_- review section removed after the story ended for a better view -_

You know me, plot pusher ahead. But the Winter Cup is so far away! Anyway. I want to thank you all for the lovely follows, favorites and reviews! Everyday I'm smiling when I'm reading your thoughts and ideas, it is amazing how lovely you all are!

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><p><em><strong>DAY EIGHTY<strong>_

"So, who's voting for the haunted house?"

Mia rubbed her face tiredly. It was a first that their homeroom teacher felt lazy enough to already let his class vote for their activity on the Culture Festival which was coming up. There were still a few weeks ahead of them but the way the older man leaned against the wall next to the blackboard, his eyes glued to his watch, indicated that he surely was only trying to kill time. The girl could bet that he enjoyed the slightly different school system their academy possessed...

She watched how many of her classmates lifted their hand to show their support for the idea. The class representative counted the votes before she turned around to the board to write it down. The orange-head didn't really know what she wanted to do. A haunted house? A café? Many other classes probably wanted to make one, the concept was pretty popular after all.

With all the different themes and costumes...their class had quite a handful of students which were part of clubs who wanted to show off their skills as well...a café would be too much work for the rest, she mused. So, in the end, she slowly lifted her hand as well, giving the class rep in the front the chance to take her vote into account, too.

Aomine had fallen asleep at the beginning of the lesson. He didn't miss much though, really. But the girl beside him couldn't help but wonder if he really wasn't interest in what they were going to do at all. Well, probably not. It was him she was talking about. He wouldn't even care if the school burned down...

_...what an interesting thought..._

"Alright, so it's decided." The class rep spoke up, tapping against the board with the chalk in her hand. "We're going to make a haunted house out of our classroom. Until next week I'll collect your personal ideas and we'll talk about the organization."

A chorus of agreements and some small curses that the other possibilities hadn't won rose into the air. The noise was actually loud enough to wake the tall teenager to her left whose breath hitched in his throat. He lifted his head heavily, rubbing the corner of his mouth to get rid of the drool. The motion was more or less clumsy thanks to his sleep drunken mind. It was expected that he'd glare at the other students in front of them, not thrilled to be awoken from his slumber already, but in the end it was his own fault, Mia thought quietly. He shouldn't fall asleep in the first place...

"The hell is going on..." He grumbled more or less to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose with a frown.

"The class decided what we're going to do on the Culture Festival." Mia replied anyway.

Aomine's eyes flickered towards her for a second, before he looked at the blackboard to see what his classmates had come up with.

"Haunted house? Well, whatever..." With familiar disinterest he rested his head on his folded arms again, easily ignoring the discussion about the event which still took place.

Mia supported her chin with her hands, watching her tall classmate as he was trying to return to the land of dreams. She couldn't imagine him joining the preparations nor taking part in the event itself, anyway. If anything she was sure that he'd escape the responsibility as quickly as could to sleep on the roof instead.

"What?" He grumbled into the sleeve of his cardigan.

Slightly surprised she blinked at his figure. His eyes were still closed, she had been pretty certain that he had already fallen asleep once more. But he seemed to have sensed her gaze on him anyway, something which actually made her look away quickly to hide her embarrassment. She had been caught staring.

"Nothing...just...you don't really look forward to the Culture Festival, do you?"

His eyes finally opened as he shifted his head slightly to get more comfortable, his gaze scanning her profile before he started yawning.

"Not really. It's too troublesome...my old class always got rid of me around that time anyway. 'Said I broke too much stuff."

Mia couldn't help but laugh quietly, her hands slipping from her chin to her lips to smother the sound. Only because their class had received a bit free time to talk about the festival didn't mean that they were allowed to do what they wanted. Although to sit in the last row of the class always helped to escape the most.

"Seriously?"

Aomine lifted his head once more, one hand forming a fist which he used to support his head with. He apparently gave up on sleep for now. What a surprise. And his narrow gaze locked with hers instead. The edge of his lips pulled into a mix of amusement and annoyance at the same time while the memory of his middle school years filled his mind.

"Yeah. I lazed around...and I sure ain't dressing up as a ghost or somethin'."

Oh, he didn't need to dress up, Mia mused. He could scare people away without even trying just fine. It took her days to get used to him and to not fear him anymore. Her tall classmate would actually be the best candidate to make this haunted house popular. With the natural scary glare in his eyes...just some dark light and poor naive fools...

But the girl wouldn't tell him that, she thought, he probably wouldn't appreciate it.

"But it would be good to at least help out in the preparations. You earn points for that as if it's a social study course."

The orange-head should know, she asked two teachers to make sure of that. And if there was anything any student who attended Tōō Academy needed, it were those certain points which decided whether you passed this school year in the end or not.

"Jeez...of course they'd pull such crap..."

The blue haired teen rolled with his eyes in annoyance.

"Satsuki will go nuts if I won't help."

Mia grinned at that thought, the picture of the fiery pink haired girl clear in her mind. If anyone was ever able to get Aomine to do something it was definitely her. No one was able to be as influencing as the female student. On her classmate's birthday there had been the whole basketball team of their school present even though they didn't strike her as good friends of Aomine. That could only be Satsuki's doing.

And poor Sakurai was the best example of a sick mix of friend and victim. Mia could never pinpoint whether he and Aomine were friends or if the brunette was more or less bullied into the position he found himself in.

The girl was sometimes uncertain too about her relationship with her table neighbor...

...alright, more like _all_ the time.

The bell suddenly rung, indicating that the lesson was over. And Mia jumped at that sound, her thoughts had occupied her for so long that she hadn't even realized how the time had passed. A few more notes were written upon the blackboard, the teacher called it a day as he dismissed the class without as much as a blink of an eye. Leaving the students to leave for their clubs or for the few of them who were on cleaning duty today, to take care of their classroom.

Mia started to shove her books into her bag, she'd have to walk to the train station alone this time, because Nanami was drowning in her Club activities. The poor girl had told her that they had to work with their seniors for the project they had in mind together. And she was given the task of passing the messages and collecting the names of the elder students.

In times like these, it was surely nice to be too lazy to be in a club.

"Nidori-san?"

"Yeah?" The orange-head looked up as her fingers were busy zipping up her bag. "Uh..."

It was one of her classmates whose names she barely got right. There just existed too many and some were just a lot more difficult to remember than others. All of that only made her feel a lot guiltier, she was pulling here on excuses, because her classmates always appeared to know her name while she struggled with theirs.

"Kurosagi."

"Kurosagi-san, right." Mia smiled sheepishly at the male student in front of her before she stood up. "Can I help you with something?"

"The class rep said that the students who aren't part of any club will be responsible for the flyers, I'm one those...you're too right?"

Absent-minded she already tugged her schoolbag closer to her chest. Thank god, one of them had listened to what the girl had said because Mia hadn't. Easily she nodded, trying to memorize the name of the black haired boy in front of her since she couldn't continue to live with all these people here for the next two and a half years without knowing at least their surnames.

"Yeah."

"Awesome." Kurosagi breathed in relief. "It will be you, me, Daisuke-kun and the Yashio twins then...uh..."

The boy's eyes suddenly avoided hers as he chose to look at his feet. That was something which puzzled her, of course. She had been polite...or hadn't she?

"I'll...I'll leave then. Just, wanted to make sure - the class rep wanted a list." He laughed slightly, his brow twitching with his awkward smile.

"Okay?"

Confused Mia's eyes followed her classmate who left and fought his way through the other students who were all leaving for their club activities or home. Had she said something wrong? She didn't know him, but it certainly felt like she had suddenly stabbed him or insulted him. Pursing her lips, she turned towards her table neighbor who maybe had an answer for the unusual reaction she had received-

What she came to face was a nasty frown on his face, the blue eyes still staring at the bunch of teenagers in front of them.

Had he just?

"Did you just scare the poor guy away?"

Aomine slowly turned towards her, looking down because he had already stood up as well. The height difference was every time so big, her mind whispered. That would be something she'd never get used to. And his facial expression still seemed to be torn between relaxing or just continuing to glare at his surroundings. Barely easing away to offer a glimpse of his usual bored frown...

"Did not."

Mia furrowed her brow, shouldering her bag while she stubbornly kept their gazes locked.

"You _totally_ did. That face of yours can be terrifying."

At that comment, he actually set his forehead in wrinkles, leaning his upper body towards her to reach the same height she had.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"Heh, ya ain't looking terrified 'though." With a swift movement he flicked her forehead, the sensations more stinging than actually painful.

But it made Mia scowl nonetheless. Quickly, she lifted a hand to brush against the spot he had touched, her eyes were narrowing at his face which slowly but surely was graced by a familiar lopsided grin. Oh, she just knew that her blush had returned. The orange-head knew it and he knew it, too. _Jeez_, of course he did. He saw it.

Stupid.

"Ahomine."

That was her only triumph card. That silly nickname was the only thing which was able to let the grin he wore shrink in size while his shark-like eyes narrowed at her.

"I told ya to stop calling me that."

"Never." Mia huffed, shoving her chair back against her desk as she started to follow the other students out of the classroom.

The girl didn't have to turn around to know that the tall teenager had trailed after her, his long strides easily keeping up with her shorter ones. He certainly had no problems to catch up with her pace while she, on the other hand, always had to double her steps. As a thought surfaced in Mia's mind though, she turned towards the blue haired basketball player. Any annoyance or grimace forgotten.

"You're not skipping practice to sleep on the roof today?"

Aomine glanced at her and shrugged with his broad shoulders. "Not today, Satsuki is leaving with friends after practice anyway."

Oh. It was rare for him not do that. He either played with her basketball in the park or slept on the roof after school. And sometimes in the library, the pink haired girl had told her. Or the classroom. Or even the club room of their club. It didn't seem to matter where he slept, but apparently it was too much of a hassle to actually attend his club's activity. But that was one of the reasons, why she never really walked with her classmate or the bubbly girl to the train station after school together, even though they went into the same direction.

Weird.

Quietly, the two changed their indoor shoes for the regular ones, leaving the proud academy building behind as they fell into step beside each other.

It wasn't like she hated it, but it was still strange to walk with him alone around. Not to mention that the basketball player really stood out, no matter where and when. Mia felt honestly a bit misplaced beside him. Although that wasn't hard to be, she guessed. But no matter how much their appearance and personality may differ, the fact that her eyes were flickering to his hands only made it worse. It was a relief that he had buried them in his cardigan's pockets at least...but...

The orange-head averted her gaze, feeling a bit embarrassed as she played with the straps of her schoolbag to keep her fingers busy.

It was all his fault.

Damn him.

Since when had it become so strangely normal to walk the street down together anyway?


	33. Day Eighty Five

Another day, another chapter.

_- review section removed after story ended -_

Once more I want to welcome the new readers, thank you for all the follows, favorites and the lovely reviews. It's always so sweet to hear what you think and this chapter is actually based on the idea of _Salvage Kill_. It sounded so adorable so I couldn't help myself; I just had to write it. I hope you all like it!

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><p><em><strong>DAY EIGHTY FIVE<strong>_

Monday was one of the most horrible things which existed on earth.

The weekend was always too short. No matter what you did, the free time just ran through your fingers like sand, disappearing until the school returned. Waking up early, sitting on a chair for a felt-like eternity and returning home only to do homework for the next day...Mia couldn't help but groan as she leaned onto her table for support, her eyelids were sinking on their own accord.

She shouldn't have read her novel so late at night. But she couldn't stop. It was terrible how her fingers flipped to the next page on their own accord. And this morning she regretted it already, because her eyes refused to stay open. Even though the girl tried her best, she couldn't listen to her teacher's voice. And the day had barely started yet.

Stubbornly Mia tried to support her chin with her hands, keeping her head up in hope it would help her fight off the sleep which tried to win this battle. She sucked at fights though, her mind hushed, her head always nodded off to the side. Only with a startled jump she was able to keep from falling.

Scowling at her stupidity, she glimpsed at the teacher in the front. She couldn't even see the face of the older man because it had disappeared behind the book he held. He recited a few passages, adding his own handful of teaks and explanations to its content while her classmates tried to filter the most important details out of it.

Maybe she could actually close her eyes for only a few minutes...

Just one.

Aomine did that on daily basis so why couldn't she do it, too? The orange-head rubbed her eyes as she carefully slumped down on her desk. Her folded arms the perfect pillow in this very moment. Mia buried her face relieved in the soft fabric of the cardigan she wore, breathing in the warm air around her as her eyes closed on their own accord.

Five minutes.

That was all she asked for.

Just five...

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><p>Aomine's face was torn between boredom and annoyance as he watched a group of students running around outside.<p>

Their class faced the inner court of the academy. The huge ground was obviously used for the physical education, boys and girls running one lap after another while the teacher gestured something with his hands. The basketball player rolled with his eyes from one side to another but everything was just too boring in his opinion.

He could be sleeping right now instead. Or read the new magazine he bought but, of course, he had forgotten it in his locker in the club room. He'd wait until break before he could go and fetch it which felt suddenly so far away thanks to the monotone voice of their homeroom teacher.

The blue haired teen sighed and glanced at his open notebook. The pen in his hand was spinning around his index finger, thanks to his already skilled grip and nudging, since he had already given up on taking notes. All what he had managed was the date of something...a war maybe? He couldn't remember, because quickly afterwards he had taken interest in what he could do with the pen instead.

The tall teenager leaned back into his chair with a gruff sigh, his gaze traveling from Sakurai's back in front of him to the girl at his side on their own accord. But his blue eyes widened as he discovered her sleeping for the first time.

If there was something he had never seen her doing in class before then it was sleeping. That was his thing, not hers.

Aomine tilted his head slightly towards the side, his gaze wandering from her closed eyes to her nose. Her lips had disappeared behind the dark fabric of her cardigan, just like half of her face which she had buried in the made-shift pillow. But because she was facing him while lying down, he was able to see how she shifted slightly, her forehead set in soft wrinkles before she calmed down again.

"Psh..."

It was a lazy grin which settled on his lips as he leaned forward again. Aomine cupped his chin with a hand, supporting his head while he chose to continue his watching. He had never seen that girl falling asleep before, in contrast to him she always tried to take notes in class.

She always did the homework as well. Something which had pushed his own grades up too since he started copying her, that girl had become his insurance.

_"Oi..."_

The blue haired teen whispered before he reached for Mia with his right hand. However, before he reached her cheek, which he had wanted to poke just to see her startled reaction, he came to a halt. Aomine's hand froze in place as he only stared at her sleeping form, his mind for a second blank and free from any mischief he could have pulled.

The basketball player withdrew his hand carefully.

He rarely saw her face so calm. She always frowned or laughed or blushed. The latter was caused most of the time because of him and the blue haired teen liked that. It was amusing to see how she'd always try to hide it in vain or how her face would twist a bit more into a grimace because she was annoyed by it herself.

Aomine settled for watching her instead, this was a lot more interesting than the window anyway. And he sure as hell wouldn't start taking notes now. Sakurai did that anyway, he could just bug him later on and he'd receive them. Not that he cared for those in the first place. Satsuki's written notes always were enough to pull him through the exams.

Maybe Mia played too many video games yesterday?

It was probably pretty stupid but he couldn't help but wonder. Satsuki never really wanted to play games with him so he was pretty surprised in the beginning that the orange-head had offered him the opportunity. She had even won against him...not that he'd ever admit it to someone else, that is.

_"What else do you do..."_

It was only a breathless sentence which he muttered to himself. Not loud enough for anyone to hear and after he had said it out loud he furrowed his brow in annoyance at himself. The lesson felt like it was never going to end, the voice of their homeroom teacher only made it go slower and slower it seemed.

And Aomine still didn't find the strength to look anywhere but Mia who still slept quietly on her table since no one stopped her from doing so.

_"...Mia."_

As if she had really heard him the girl suddenly jumped. Her reaction was hectic, her head immediately rose into the air as her dark orbs blinked at the blackboard in front of them in surprise. She had probably only realized in her dream that she had been sleeping, her mind quickly hurrying her to wake up but the fast movement had startled Aomine as well.

The blue haired teen threw his head to his left, quickly staring out of the window to cover up the fact that he had been staring at her while she had been sleeping.

_She hadn't heard him_, he reminded himself. _She hadn't_.

But the coincidence had been too perfect that for a second he really thought it had been him who woke her up. Ever so carefully, he glimpsed at the orange-head who rubbed her eyes to get rid of the sleep, mumbling something to herself.

Aomine couldn't help but laugh quietly into the palm of his hand, something which Mia heard and her attention shifted towards him.

Ah.

She blushed.

Embarrassed that she had been caught sleeping in class, she turned red. For her it was even worse, because it had been him who had actually stayed awake during class and not her. She scowled at him half-hearted, her eyes challenging him to say anything mean. But all he did was grin to himself, amusement written across his face.

_"Sleepy?"_

Mia pursed her lips, her hands brushing her hair to make sure it wasn't looking awkward after she had slept.

_"...a bit."_

Her honest confession only made it better and his grin grew in size while the girl finally averted her gaze to escape his attentive one.

_Thank god, she hadn't heard him._


	34. Day Ninety Two

Another day, another chapter.

_- review section removed after story ended for a better view -_

I didn't plan ahead and only realized that now, haha. Now I'm afraid I won't finish this in time for Karen's birthday...it's possible that I'll have to continue a bit afterwards. Maybe. I don't know yet. Don't hurt me. Gah. I'm such a horrible chaos, haha.

Thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews!

You guys are wonderful and nice the critics are also really helpful, I'll try to improve and I have all your great ideas in mind!

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><p><em><strong>DAY NINETY TWO<strong>_

The air slowly cooled off, the clouds claiming back the sky they had avoided during the hot summer days. And the days returned with their daily activities, up and downs included, of course. The Culture Festival was the main topic of the students, classes exchanging their ideas and opinions about what they were doing. While others were too busy with their clubs to prepare something as well, just like a certain black haired girl.

Nanami brushed past the classes with a handful of boxes and documents in her arms. She wasn't exactly someone who volunteered to do things for teachers, but if that meant she could escape a single lesson of English then it was definitely worth it.

Balancing the papers in her arms she climbed one step after another to reach the higher floors of the building they were in. The teacher's lounge was on the other side, far away from her location but that only meant that she had enough time to gamble around and avoid coming back to the class for a long time.

Who needed English anyway?

"Excuse me." She muttered beneath her breath, pushing the door to the destination open with a pair of fingers, because she couldn't let go of the objects in her hands completely.

"Ah, Himara-sensei's documents, I presume?"

Nanami had no idea whose voice it was. Probably a teacher of another division bracket, however, she affirmed it anyway.

"Yes."

"Imayoshi, help that student out, will you." The attention of the adult had already shifted to something else before she shortly after that heard a few heavy steps were closing in on her form in front of the door.

She had heard that name before, hadn't she?

Her suspicions were unsurprisingly correct as two of the three boxes she had carried disappeared from her pile, the familiar sharp face of the older student appeared in her vision instead. Nanami quirked her brow at seeing him here, she knew that he must be her senior but even those had classes right now going on.

"Ah, Amori, wasn't it?"

His thin smile felt anything but welcoming, and at the lack of the polite suffix, she had to lift an eyebrow. He must be her senior. _Definitely_. But even as an underclassman she should at least receive a fitting greeting. Two could play game, Nanami assumed as she nodded her head curtly at the taller teenager.

"Imayoshi."

The dark haired student in front of her only smiled a bit more, carrying the boxes towards a table at her left which she quickly did as well.

"Sensei, do I get an okay then?" The basketball team captain asked and the grey haired man at his desk nodded absent-minded. His eyes were still glued to a notebook in front of him.

"Yeah, fine. If he hands in all the assignments then I'll give a '_go_'...ah." The teacher finally looked up and waved his hand at Nanami who still stood calmly in between the fronts. "Thanks for the documents, you can return to your class."

Well...if she was lucky then the bell would ring soon anyway. Wordlessly, she left the room with the taller student who nearly mockingly held the door open for her as well. The expressionless girl couldn't shake off the feeling she had with him. He was weird. And not in a good way at all.

"What for a coincidence, eh?"

Nanami looked up at the male student, her face still hiding the opinion which formed on him and his unshaken smile. He had talked with the teacher about some assignments...surely they weren't his, Imayoshi didn't strike as a lazy guy who dared to question the teachers how he could pass his subjects...no, it must have been about that trouble-maker.

Ah.

"Making sure that he can participate in the Winter Cup?"

The grey eyes behind his glasses widened slightly before he started to laugh, pushing the frames closer against his face..

"I've been found out it seems. Well, a captain has to make sure that the whole team is prepared."

Well, she had to give him that. It must be a horrible job to look after that guy, she still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that her dear friend had found a way to tame the lazy, shark-eyed teen without getting herself killed. It wasn't like she hated Aomine...but as a friend she was a little bit worried about Mia.

Although her amusement certainly overweighed that by miles, it was too much fun to tease her about her complicated relationship with the blue haired basketball player.

"Must be hard." Nanami mused before she was about to turn away, she still had to walk for quite a while before she'd reach her classroom. But her feet came to a sudden halt, her body twisting back around to Imayoshi who watched her change of mind curiously.

"_Actually_, I could use your help, Imayoshi." The black haired girl said calmly. "The Literature Club works at a novel concerning the school, I was told to gather information from the upperclassmen."

"Oh. Already busy because of the Culture Festival?"

Nanami shrugged with her shoulders. If she had found in him an acquaintance by chance, then she'd surely use that opportunity for her own needs. If Imayoshi wouldn't want to help, she could still try to ask the other senior from the basketball club. It couldn't be that hard to find him. But to her surprise the tall teen agreed, his smile broad as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Sure, why not? _Seniors_ should help their _underclassmen_."

"I won't call you senpai." She deadpanned nearly immediately.

Imayoshi's face actually fell at that, his forehead set in wrinkles while he breathed a weak chuckle.

"Why are all youngsters so harsh these days?"

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><p>It was as if the heaven was on her side today, because somewhere around the time she had reached the stairs to climb them down the bell started ringing, indicating that the English lesson was already over. Nanami couldn't help but form a silent fist of victory, a gesture she had unconsciously learned from the orange haired girl as she continued her long walk towards her destination.<p>

The next lesson was going to be mathematics, she was confident she could handle the countless numbers and letters. Logical parts of her education were always easier to understand then the other things, but her thoughts were interrupted as she finally reached the corridor of her grade.

The hall just outside the classrooms on this floor was filled by a handful of students who met their friends from the parallel classes. Something which wouldn't interest her as much if the very girl she called her best friend wouldn't be standing just outside the room, talking with two guys about something.

Nanami furrowed her brow curiously, scanning the back of the heads she saw of the male students but she couldn't tell who they were...classmates?

Mia gestured something with her hands, her round eyes wandering between the boys until she nodded. She smiled at something, oblivious to the classroom's entrance behind her in which suddenly another person appeared.

It was no one else than Aomine, who the black haired girl had talked about with Imayoshi, his slouched form leaning against the door's frame while his narrow glare landed on the orange-head and the two boys. Even from the distance Nanami could tell how his eyes were darkening, his expression twisting into a heavy frown as he stared the teenagers down over Mia's head.

One of boys bumped into his friend, suddenly eager to pull him away. Mia's eyes widened in confusion, shrugging with her shoulders before the students walked past her with a weak wave - just like Nanami had expected, they were disappearing in another class room.

The orange-head turned around, still puzzled at the sudden change of mood, before she looked up in surprise. Mia finally noticed her blue haired classmate who still wore the same frown on his face he had used to obviously scare the other two away. The girl said something, pointing at the basketball player who shrugged carelessly with his shoulders. Definitely doing anything but showing remorse.

"It's like some cheesy comedy show..." Nanami mumbled to herself, her steps increasing to reach them.

"I swear, your face is like a horror movie." Mia complained half-hearted.

"Tch, it ain't my fault that those morons are nothing but scaredy-cats."

"But I _need_ to talk to them about the concept of the flyers..." The orange-head whined, her attention shifting to the newcomer. At the sight of her friend, her dark eyes widened in relief. Mia easily reached for the black haired girl, engulfing her in a hug.

"Nanami, Aomine is scaring everyone away. _Again_."

"_Eeh~_?" With her calm expression she looked up at the tall teen, her arms encircling the girl as she lifted an eyebrow teasingly. "Now, is he?"

Aomine's grimace returned. Nanami had never really talked with him much before, all she ever heard was from the girl in her arms but it was enough to put a picture together. Although even if not, she had already watched them enough to make up the rest. She still thought he wasn't really a great guy, but as long as Mia didn't end up dead somewhere, she didn't mind the show.

It was surely entertaining.

With a rare lopsided smile she looked up at the basketball player who couldn't help but recognize the familiarity of her and someone he knew. Her calmness was amazingly covering up any train of thought she had in mind. Something which annoyed him immensely.

Nanami, on the other hand, only wondered if Mia could see and understand everything she had witnessed these past weeks. Or if her stubborn mind and lack of experience blurred her sight of any clue and hint. _Well_, the black haired girl sighed as the bell rung once more, indicating the start of the next lesson.

_At least she could still tease her friend about it till then._


	35. Day Ninety Nine

Another day, another chapter.

_- review section removed after story ended for a better view -_

Finally. So a new update, a little time jump and I hope a lot of fluff. I'm again a bit uncertain if I was too quick so I'd be glad to hear your opinion. I'll maybe edit it later one.

Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews!

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><p><em><strong>DAY NINETY NINE<strong>_

"It's all _your_ fault."

Aomine lifted his gaze from his seat on the other side of her table, his expression forming a frown as he glared at her. He pushed the black and white fabric away from his side, falling further back into his chair which only made the orange haired girl scowl at him more.

"No way, you're helping out, Aomine."

"Tch...if you beat me in basketball, maybe."

"You _know_ that this is impossible!" Mia called out, pointing at the tall teenager who slumped down further into his chair to emphasis his point.

She was actually supposed to be on the other side of the room with her other classmates who were coloring and writing different flyers for their haunted house. But then a classmate of hers approached her, asking...well more or less begging her to change their tasks, because apparently the blue haired teen was scary and a pain to deal with.

And the other girl had been _so_ certain that it would be great to work with the _'tall, dangerous looking guy'_ in the back of the class.

Mia liked to help out, she surely did. But she didn't know how to feel about being labeled as the _'girl who was able to talk with him without crying'_. What did her classmate expect, she wondered. That Aomine was one of those typical protagonists in those romantic novels? There was no way that he'd be the so called _'bad boy'_ who turned out to be an _'only you can change me'_ guy. He was even a bad boy to beging with - Aomine was just completely lazy.

The girl pursed her lips as she slowly formed another small ghost puppet out of the materials they had on the table, her gaze glimpsing ever so carefully at the annoyed expression of the basketball player in front of her.

Aomine as someone who was in truth cheesy and soft on the inside...

Mia suddenly let go of the doll as a handful of giggles bursted out of her mouth she couldn't restrain. At the sound of her laughter the blue haired teen leaned forward once more, his elbows landing onto the table to support his upper body.

"What?"

"N-nothing!" She breathed, still trying to keep her voice down but it only made him more eager to find out why she had suddenly such a change of mood.

But the thought was just so ridiculous!

"Why the hell are you laughing?" Aomine asked again, a single eyebrow lifted into the air.

The frown on his face had at least disappeared, his expression relaxing as he watched the girl in front of him slowly calm down. The smile on her lips was still present as she blinked away the few tears in her eyes the picture in her mind had caused. They still had to finish a handful of puppets for the decoration and if he wouldn't be so lazy in the first place they'd surely be a lot faster.

"I'll tell you if you help." Mia offered.

"_Tch_." Her tall classmate clicked his tongue dissatisfied with her idea, but after she didn't give into his half-hearted glare, he sighed heavily.

It looked a little painful to watch him stuff the fabric with too much wool, the little ghost puppet would surely end up a bit deformed thanks to his rough treatment. But it was something. And in the end it was supposed to be a haunted house, so maybe it would even fit the image they wanted to achieve.

"Stupid points..."

Mia smiled at the sight of his helpless stuffing and tying. Who would've thought that she was able to make him actually do something? Satsuki would be proud of her! Quickly, she grabbed her abandoned puppet, tying the thin thread around it to secure its form. Even though the orange-head could agree that her tall classmate was hard to handle, she didn't understand why the female student had been so eager to get away.

If Aomine was actually working it wasn't so bad.

Her body jumped slightly as his long legs bumped into hers once more beneath the table. _That_ was maybe the only thing which bothered her. That guy was too tall for his own good, even though she had already withdrawn her legs and feet she could always feel his whenever he shifted around. It wasn't that much of a big deal to be honest. However, Mia couldn't help but notice how aware she grew of all his movements whenever he was close by.

It was as if she expected a blow in the very next second which was just ridiculous.

The orange-head narrowed her gaze at the small puppet in her hands, trying to concentrate onto it before she once again felt how his calf pushed her left leg aside to stretch his one out a bit more. Biting her tongue Mia pushed back against him with her own thigh. How much space does that guy need anyway?

At her sudden action Aomine looked up from the doll in his hands. His eyes blinking at her a bit surprised before a lazy grin tugged at the corner of his lips.

With a bit force he brushed against her left leg once more, claiming the spot he had previously found back, which was enough to catch her attention. Mia looked up startled, their gazes locking as she had to keep herself from turning red again. It was so damn stupid but she could feel his body heat through the fabric of his pants, the body contact so close and subtle although it still was nothing which could be called casual.

The basketball player really used any opportunity he found to escape the task at hand.

Biting her bottom lip Mia tried to force his leg away once more. But after he had noticed her intend, it was obvious that he wouldn't let her do that, instead he used his own strength and other leg to lock her in place. And thanks to his unbeatable muscle strength it was a battle he won easily.

"_Aomine..._" The orange-head growled as her head slowly but surely turned into the dreaded shade of red she had tried to avoid.

"You're blushing." He pointed out as tactless as ever.

The amusement was written across his face. The grin on his lips only growing as she tried to free her legs in vain, but it was impossible against someone like him. She had known he was strong but now she felt it for the first time just how big the difference between them was. God, she wouldn't be able to beat him even if she started to work out. It felt like her limbs were crushed whenever she tried to kick out.

Mia's lips pursed in defeat, her eyes ghosting from left to right but all she had as a weapon was one of those silly little puppets. Desperate enough to try _anything,_ she grabbed one of the finished dolls. Her arm rose into the air, ready to throw it against his head to at least cause a moment of distraction-

But it wouldn't be Aomine, the trained basketball player, if he didn't foresee her idea. The teenager's left hand darted out, grabbing hers which held onto the puppet, so fast that she didn't even realize that he had moved in the first place.

With wide eyes she let go of the small ghost, the item bounced onto the table until it rolled off onto the floor beside them. Damn him and his reflexes! How would she be ever able to beat him in something else beside video games if he was like this? A lazy human being shouldn't be able to react as fast as he could! Mia couldn't accept that.

Still glaring at his ever so arrogant expression, she tried to find something else in the depth of her mind which could help her. But the only thing which sounded reasonable was to call out for help, two against one _always_ made it easier. Unfair, yeah. Although who cared about such stuff if it meant victory against the stubborn tall guy in front of her?

Well...maybe the childishness of all of this stopped her.

Their corner in the room was rather empty because the other students had pushed the tables and chairs in the front aside to create more working space. A handful of teenagers were crawling across the floor to cut and nail a long black cloth onto thin wooden planks.

Her classmates who were busy with the flyers sat at four tables which were pushed against another, discussing which motif and color should be used next. Loud noise and laughter echoed from the corridor into their classroom. Not to mention that Mia had probably disappeared behind Aomine's broad back from their point of view.

_If they saw the situation they'd probably laugh anyway..._

And how could Nanami leave her! The raven haired girl had apparently found a senior who was helping her out.

But still!

She could use some help here...

Her swirl of thoughts came to a halt as Aomine pushed their hands down. She hadn't even realized how her arm had been frozen in place, the clash of their struggle still in midair until she felt the cool surface of the desk beneath the palm of her hand.

Mia's eyes flickered towards his hand which still lay upon hers; blocking her from any harsh movement she could've planned. It had been a while since she had held his hand. The days had passed, burying the memory beneath homework and school. But now where she felt the familiar rough skin against her knuckles it all came back with a wave of emotion.

Gosh, just when she had been sure her heart would never try to escape her ribcage again...

She felt like one of those idiotic characters on a show, those fools who were easily swayed by small actions while whining on and on about their _'oh so fragile feelings'_...but in truth it was all so hard to grasp. It was difficult to understand and hard to put in order...there was no manual to look up her questions...there were no right answers.

No script or dramatic past. No director or plan.

There was only you, your brain and your heart. And they all yelled and shouted at another. Making her head spin in circles and her nerves tingle even though it was all nonsense in the end.

And his fault.

It was _always_ his fault.

"_Aho_mine..."

"_Hah?_" He probably intended to sound a lot more threatening. But his voice was quiet and gruff, the annoyance barely audible to her ears.

Mia stared at their hands, her fingers slowly lifting until they were able to slip through his longer ones. It was neat how easily they fitted in between his. His skin taking on a darker shade next to her pale one, or at least it looked like as if it did in the afternoon's sunlight. Either way, it was a strange sight...their fingers intertwined like this.

She nearly wished she hadn't done it as she felt the grip of his hand tighten. His rough fingertips were pressing against the back of her hand while hers were still hanging lazily in their grasp. She froze in her seat, the blood rushing into her head where it settled into her cheeks. Why did she never think things through first? Mia's toes curled in discomfort, the hold of his legs slowly loosened up, but the orange-head had problems to find the courage to even look into his eyes.

He could be laughing.

Or grinning.

_Or worse._

The girl wouldn't survive that. Not now.

So as she finally did look up, ready to lung at him and his stupid, arrogant grin, she was surprised to see him stare out of the window instead. That only made it worse, her mind gushed in panic. It didn't fit him and his blunt attitude. How was she supposed to handle that reaction!

Weakly, the orange haired girl leaned onto the table for support. She changed her mind. She had been prepared for some snarky comment. It would have given her enough strength to counter it with something else..._maybe_...probably...well...no, not really. But it would've been something familiar and not..._this_.

Mia supported her head with her free hand, her skull felt suddenly heavy enough to crash through the floor beneath them. But as her palm came in contact with her chin and cheek, she could feel her skin burn. As if it was close to go up in flames - the girl sulked at that. It was always her and never him who reacted like that.

Even as she tightened her grip on his hand as well, pressing her soft fingertips against the back of his hand, he didn't flinch or jump like she had. That wasn't fair, she thought. She lacked a poker face and was so easy to read. It wouldn't surprise her if he was able to hear her heart throbbing because the organ was trying to strangle her again it seemed.

But he was so stupid, her inner voice mumbled while her eyes stared at their joined hands. So stupid and mean.

As Aomine suddenly shifted in front of her, she quickly looked up. It was hard to watch him slowly copy her stature. His free hand was cupping his chin while his deep blue eyes wandered towards their hands where they lingered for a while. It was impossible to read the expression on his face. Or at least it was for her because it neither showed annoyance or nothing at all.

It was just calm.

Quiet and wordless just like this moment between them. This time there was no excuse like on his birthday. She had done that, still uncertain why exactly, but it was her who had intertwined their fingers.

"We're never going to finish these stupid dolls..." Mia mumbled weakly.

Aomine looked up at that, their gazes finally locking as a lopsided satisfied grin graced his lips. To prove a point she didn't know, he squeezed her hand, his strength easily hindering her from loosening her grip.

"I don't care."

Mia started to smile at that. The uncertainty was still there for sure, but it made it less scary when he was looking at her like that. Not mocking. Or mean. He was just being himself..._well_, maybe less jerk-like if she could call it that. Whatever it was, it was enough to make her actually admit it.

She liked holding his stupid hand.

And _maybe_ she did like her lazy classmate kinda as well.

Maybe.


	36. Day One Hundred Six

Another day, another chapter.

_- review section removed after story ended for a better view -_

I have to make it short this time. I need to go shopping because my dad's birthday is tomorrow and I need birthday cake ingredients! I wanted to update still so that you won't have for too long.

The feedback was amazing, you guys are amazing. And the deadline is coming closer and closer, I'm panicking! Haha. _Thank you for all the wonderful follows, favorites and reviews!_

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><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED SIX<strong>_

The noise around them had grown in size. Students were shifting around, discussing what had to be done next while here and there another teenager appeared from a club or other class. The door to the hallway was always open, it just didn't make sense to close it anymore since it would be rip open immediately afterwards again, exposing a girl from the Astronomy club who needed help to carry a few boxes. Or a boy from the class next door who was in need of a hammer because someone else had taken theirs.

The preparation for the Culture Festival was lively and busy. The event closed in on then while afterwards the midterm exams were right around the corner...

To say the least, the students of Tōō Academy were determined to enjoy the freedom while it lasted.

"Aomine-san, could please hand me the paint pot beside you...?"

Sakurai had stopped his movement, the brush in his hand hovering above the sign beneath him. The poor boy was already sweating; worried he'd disappoint the others with his horrible handwriting. But the girls had insisted that it had to be him doing it. Because apparently, his writing was the neatest of the class even if he couldn't believe it at all.

The blue haired basketball player was on the other side of the sign in front of him. His tall body crouched down while he tapped the still unused paintbrush in his hand against his shoulder. His frown deepened as he lifted an eyebrow at his fellow team member.

"I told ya to quit the _'san'_, Ryō. I ain't my old man."

Sakurai paled as he quickly bowed his head a handful of times. "I'm sorry! I didn't intend to insult you, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Cut it, Ryō."

The brunette bit the inside of his cheeks, nodding once again. "I'm sorry..."

Aomine sighed, tired and bored. He handed the annoying paint pot to his classmate while he wondered why he even had to stay here. The moment Satsuki had heard about the possibility to gain points if you helped out in the preparations for the Culture Festival, she had been bugging him every day when they went to school or walked home. To make sure that he wouldn't drop the chance of securing his clear for the next school year.

At least he was able to shove all the work onto Sakurai most of the time. The shy boy did everything without a complain, his hand gliding over the broad sign to write down the title of their event in big dark letters. All the blue haired teen had done up until was staring, yawning and figuring out when he could sneak away to take a nap anyway.

And sometimes bugging Mia when she was close by.

The two basketball players became quiet as one of them drew carefully while the other looked around the room in disinterest. The teenagers around them were busy with many things. Either discussing the costumes of the monsters they wanted to hide in dark corners or the decoration and where it should be placed. A few of the boys were already building the walls, carrying the wooden boards they had been allowed to buy into the the already crowded room.

The navy colored orbs of Aomine flew over the heads of his classmates until they settled on the familiar orange-head who talked with a girl about something. The gestures were too vague to tell what their topic was about but soon her attention wandered as someone else called her name over the noise of the people around them.

Still tapping the thick paint brush against his shoulder he slowly twisted around to follow Mia's figure across the room. It took a little while until the girl had pushed herself through a group of teenagers, carefully stepping over the wooden frames two boys were already putting together until finally she approached the entrance of their classroom. A guy he didn't know, maybe from the class down the hall, stood there. And that sight finally made Aomine's brow furrow as he narrowed his eyes at the intruder and his friendly smile.

The noise in the room was too loud to pick up their voices from his position but he saw the male student look down at his feet, embarrassed about something he said. A few head shakes and smiles were exchanged - before suddenly the girl left the room to follow the slender teen.

Aomine finally stopped his hand which had tapped the brush against his shoulder in a monotone rhythm all this time. His gaze still glued to the now empty entrance. His mind had been empty before, too bored, too lazy to even think about anything remotely interesting. All he had done had been listening and watching his shy teammate paint the sign. But now his thoughts bubbled onto the surface, rising a few questions which all concerned the boy Mia had followed just like that. Mia didn't know boys. He should know that, they hung around. They talked in break or sometimes in lessons. So who was that? Aomine didn't even hear Sakurai ask for another paint brush which lay around somewhere to his right.

The blue haired teenager was way too occupied in that very moment.

Abruptly, his long legs stretched out until he reached his full height once again. Looming over the brown haired boy and their project like a tower, Aomine stood their on the spot for a quiet second. The gears in his head stilll turning and twisting as if a machine had been turned on for the first time that day.

What in the world would a student from another class want from the orange-head?

"Aomine-kun?" Sakurai asked puzzled.

But instead of replying Aomine let go of the brush in his hand. The item fell onto the sign with a thud, smearing the still wet color with a light splatter. The brunette frowned in panic, his worried expression from before growing agitated. Sakurai sputtered, quickly picking up the brush to save the letter '_H_' of the word '_house_'. But the crimson color was already splattered across the white surface of the sign, leaving him flailing like a child who had broken a prescious vase.

The tall teen in front of him was gone though.

* * *

><p>"You're a life savior."<p>

Mia laughed at the relieved grin of the boy next to her.

"No problem, really. _So_...you're a classmate of Satsuki-san?"

He nodded, scratching his cheek as they walked down the hallway where he and the others were busy working on their own big sign for their classroom.

"Yeah, Momoi said that you were good in English. M friends and I are pretty much fighting ever since someone had the idea to call it _'Around the World of Colors'_." The boy stuffed his hands into his pockets as he remembered their loud arguments. "Sorry to bother you."

"It's fine. It's nice to get out of the stuffy room for awhile." Mia replied. "You're making a café then?"

"Yeah, the girls wanted to do one...you're making a haunted house, right?"

The orange-head nodded, feeling her shoulders fall as they finally relaxed. She had been indeed surprised to see a stranger call her name, but as he mentioned Satsuki it was easy to agree and help out. And all they needed was help with the title and phrases they wanted to write down in English because their best student in that subject was part of the Literature Club, just like Nanami, and those were too busy with their own project to help their class.

In the end Mia was just glad to get out of the room for a while. She could need a break.

* * *

><p>"What're you doing, Aomine-kun?"<p>

The teen whipped his head around, startled by the feminine voice beside him which hadn't been there before. It shouldn't have surprised him though to see no one else but Satsuki standing there, her hands clasped together behind her back. Nearly innocently. Too bad the blue haired basketball player knew her better than that.

"You're not skipping, are you?"

Aomine frowned at her as he stopped walking; easily turning away from the path he had followed.

"Don't be so nosy, I was only takin' a break."

The pink haired girl didn't trust his gruff answer in the slightest, her body swaying to the side to see where he had been going because the staircase towards the roof was on the other side of the hallway. On his own accord he stepped into her line of vision, sneering at her pouting lips she used to try and make him feel guilty in any way.

"Oh, really? And where to?"

"Nowhere."

"Nowhere, huh?" The basketball club manager mused, her rosy red eyes glinting in delight. "Then I'll go and check where nowhere is."

Satsuki brushed past him before the teenager's hand quickly darted out to stop her from leaving. His mood turned darker with her cheeky smile, he should've just stayed with Sakurai after all. It was just his luck that his childhood friend decided to walk around outside as well. She had nothing better to do than to get on his nerves.

"Don't ya have work to do as well?"

The girl grumbled quietly to herself that she, unlike him, was _really_ on a break. What she wouldn't tell the basketball player was that her friends had asked her to leave the kitchen they were allowed to use to test out a few cakes and cookies recipes. They wanted to see which they'd sell on the Culture Festival but...after the pink haired girl had ruined every single thing she had tried to bake she was sent away.

Satsuki didn't think her cookies were this bad...they were just..._crispy_.

"That has nothing to do with you!" She whined suddenly, hitting him against his arm.

"Momoi-chan! We need your help here."

The girl turned around to glance at one of her classmates who waved at her from afar. She returned the gesture swiftly, her lips forming a smile.

"Yokoi-chan, I was just-"

Satsuki was about to gesture to Aomine, showing that she was just on a break and talking to her friend. But the moment she turned back to the tall teenager he had already disappeared. The hallways the pink haired club manager now stood in was completely empty. With a groan Satsuki threw her fists into her hips. He always had to be so rude, it was unbelievable!

"Momoi-chan?"

_Sigh_.

"I'm coming~"

* * *

><p>"Is it just me or is it suddenly cold..."<p>

Mia looked up startled from where she had pointed at a note with her hand. She had written down a few catching phrases with the friend of the boy who had asked her. Absorbed in the letters she had checked at least three times to make sure they were correct. She had felt no change in temperature at all although the boy nodded to emphasis his opinion.

"_Seriously_. It feels like a ghost is sitting on my shoulder-"

He fell to his ride side with a yelp, the content expression from before a sudden grimace. The other teenagers around them jumped startled, Mia included who now blinked at him completely flabbergasted. But right where she was able to see realization appear on every other boys face, it took her a while to feel the familiar intimidating presence behind her. She had actually gotten used to it so much that it was hardly something she noticed anymore.

So all she could do was blink at the tall figure behind her whose gaze had darkened thanks to the shadows which were thrown onto his stature.

"Aomine?"

"_He's human...?!_" One of the students hissed as they stared at the intruder doubtfully. But he regretted his words immediately as the blue colored orbs turned their attention towards him, making him flinch beneath the piercing stare.

"_Nah_, Nidori. You're needed."

"Eh? But I thought..."

Aomine clicked his tongue as he grabbed her wrist, pulling her easily away from the group of boys in front of them.

"Now."

Mia tried to scowl at him but her eyes darted onto her wrist which nearly disappeared beneath his hold. She had been honestly certain that she had been allowed to have a break before she left the classroom. But she stood no chance against Aomine's strength as he continued to drag her away from the group of teenagers. Weakly, she waved a goodbye, her feet struggling to keep up with his long strides as he walked down the other hallway.

"I was on break, you know."

"Who cares?"

"Well, I do?" The orange-head tried, furrowing her brow. "...who needs my help then?"

At that question the blue haired teen actually came to a halt. In his entire brainless plan to just get her away from the guys he didn't know, he never really bothered to think about what would happen if she tried to question his motives. All he wanted was to get rid of the boy who had acted so familiar around her. The basketball player did count himself as her friend, he should know her other friends. Thanks to Satsuki he knew enough about morons who were up to no good.

However...he could hardly say all that.

He had no reason to begin with.

"Someone."

After that word passed his lips he started walking again, his tight grip on her wrist still forcing her to continue to follow him. Helplessly, Mia tried to rummage through her mind to find any of her classmates who could maybe use her assistance but she couldn't remember anyone. Even though she now was able to nearly recall every single face, she had practiced, really.

And it wasn't helping that he held onto her wrist, it wasn't _that_ long ago when she had admitted that she _maybe_ started to like her tall classmate a bit more than just...well..._stuff_. The questions in her head shrunk in size but the awareness grew with every step they took and she could feel her face burn in embarrassment because her brain just had to remind her of last Monday. And his birthday. All these little things she had spared enough attention before seemed to haunt her suddenly.

The intimacy she had never bothered to notice before.

As the taller one of them reached the classroom, Aomine finally decided to let go of her. His gruff frown landed on Sakurai who had continued their work obediently. The poor boy had given his best to save what the basketball player had nearly ruined while Mia stood right behind him, realizing how horribly obvious it must look like when she stepped into the room with her burning face.

Desperately she pressed her hands against her cheeks, hoping that her will alone would let the blood disappear. She wasn't some stupid annoying girl, she could handle such stuff. It wasn't hard. Really. Yeah. She kinda liked him. Somehow. Who knew why, but she did.

_However_, her whole class didn't need to read it on her flushed face.

Aomine was about to step into the classroom until Mia's hands reached out to grasp his sweater by the ends. The tall teen stopped abruptly, his head twisting around to look over his shoulder to the orange-head who tried to hide her face from his curious glance as best as she could.

"Just, just a second - okay?"

His heavy gaze rested upon her mercilessly. Not blinking or flickering away until finally he took a deep breath. The basketball player leaned against the doorframe, his eyes starting to wander around the busy room in front of him to watch their classmates scurry around instead. And of course he didn't go unnoticed by Sakurai for long who finally recognized his broad figure in the doorway.

"Aomine-kun, are you alright?"

The blue haired basketball player snorted at the shy boy, one hand rubbing his cheek as he crossed his legs to lean his weight onto one foot. His broad back still shielded the girl who hid behind him.

"Shut up."

He didn't move until Mia finally gave him an assuring push.


	37. Day One Hundred Thirteen I

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**CopraMeow**_, _**Savage Kill**_, _**Lavynya**_, _**Deyoki**_ - I'm glad you're enjoying all the fluff!, **ksbKipper1998** - The romance is finally growing since Mia became aware of it, hooray for development, haha., _**KT-Desu**_ - I hope you enjoy it!, _**a fan**_ - I'm glad you like it and I hope you'll continue to enjoy the story!, _**thesunwillkeeponshining**_ - Yay for jealous Aomine, haha., _**HiddenCamelia**_ - I hope he's still Aomine-like, always afraid I lean too far out of the window with that guy, haha., _**BDDB**_, _**SamTsui**_, _**princess thieves of hearts**_, _**TenraiTsukiyomi**_ - Glad you liked the part with the paint, I liked it, too. That lucky bastard and poor Sakurai, haha. And yes, that damn Winter Cup. I'm on my way to that bad boy of plot event. Soon, very soon we're back on track on the anime plot line and character development. Don't jump just yet, we still have a teasing road filled with fluff in front of us, haha. I'm glad you enjoy it! And _**Saiko**_ - He can be quite adorable, right? Haha. I hope you'll enjoy the festival!

Alright. This is important and will probably be the only time I'll do it. This is a _**part one**_ of the day. That means that tomorrow when I update it will be the _**part two**_. Same day, same event. I just really am late right now and got stuff to do, and birthday and things! So much stuff and many things. But I didn't want to skip the update today either.

So today is part one of the Culture Festival! I couldn't double-check it. Will do that later, so I hope you forgive spelling, grammar and awkward sentences. I'll edit it later on!

Thank you all for the lovely follows, favorites and reviews! I hope you enjoy the chapter!

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><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED THIRTEEN<strong>_

"Have fun." Mia said smiling as the two visitors handed her a few coins.

The boy and girl, obviously still middle school students, thanked her and stepped into their classroom with a few laughs and wonders how it'll be. The orange-head on the other hand had already sat on the chair in front of her classroom since at least two hours because she didn't want to dress up as a monster.

It wasn't really all interesting or amazing to sit here, greet and invite guests into their made-shift haunted house. But it was still better than to run around in the dark scaring the poor visitors who dared to step into their personal hell without realizing it.

Mia only had to lift her hand, counting her fingers until three. Because then they reached the little turn at the corner which was dark and only lit by an old rusty lantern...one, two..._three_.

It was surprisingly the boy who screamed first.

The girl started laughing into her hands, hiding her grin as the sound of chaotic steps in the room increased. Every, single, time. It was like clockwork to be honest. And after the first four customers they had, the message spread and more and more people wanted to check out their room to see what all the fuss was about.

Well, it was no miracle that the people were scared. Not if they had the very personification of fear itself hiding somewhere in the dark.

The door of the classroom was forcefully pushed open. She had expected to see the two middle school students who had turned around immediately to get out of the haunted house but instead of two young teenagers it was the very tall teen who had become the attraction of their horror cabinet.

Aomine's expression was hard. His gaze narrowed as he frowned at nothing in particular. Although the air around was already enough to knock out the breath out of your lungs, it was heavy and sizzling with anger. No wonder, she mused. He hadn't wanted to be part of the haunted house. It had been Satsuki who had forced him into this role along with the whole class who saw their chance to use his scariness for profit.

Mia could only grin.

"Thanks for the hard work."

The basketball player turned to her, sneering at her delighted expression as he closed the door behind him. His feet dragged him towards her other side where an empty chair awaited him, giving him enough space to just fall down and lean back.

"I _hate_ this."

"But you're pretty good at _this_."

"Shut up."

Aomine narrowed his eyes at the girl beside him, tugging at the bloodied gloves he wore. They fitted well the torn up suit he had on, something which gave him the image of a dead, cruel murderer. With the natural sharp face he possessed it had become the highlight of their whole haunted house in no time.

Mia handed him a bottle of water she had brought with her, watching him as he took a huge gulp of the drink to satisfy his need for hydration.

"You got a break?"

The teen glanced at her for a second, a single eyebrow lifted into the air.

"I got one now."

Of course, he hadn't asked the class rep if he was allowed to leave the scene. She shouldn't have asked that in the first place but maybe he actually deserved one. Thanks to him, willingly or not, their idea became pretty popular after all. With all the money they earned they would surely get enough together so that the whole class could go out and have fun.

Hopefully not karaoke...Mia sucked at singing.

The girl blinked her thoughts away as another group of visitors appeared. Girls and boys who were probably one or two years younger than her but they talked excitedly about the possibility of ghosts and other creatures who could await them somewhere in the dark classroom. The orange-head smiled and accepted the few Yen they expected as payment.

"Have fun."

She waved after the children who excitedly disappeared in the tiny maze of blackness, they soft giggles and laughter the last thing she heard before they closed the door behind them. Sadly she couldn't count on the chorus of screams anymore Aomine had caused every time when visitors reached his part.

Sighing she leaned onto the table, folding her arms as her gaze wandered from left to right.

"I wonder what the other classes are doing...I'd love to check it out."

The blue haired teen beside her had started to rock the chair he sat on forward and backward, his eyes rolling towards her lazily.

"Then let's go."

Mia twisted her head to the basketball player, staring at his rather calm and bored expression as she tried to make out whether or not he was trying to pull her leg. He made it sound so casual which it probably was. But somehow she feared somewhere in her mind that he was merely trying to mock her somehow.

"I'm not on break though." She muttered.

Aomine snorted at that, the chair he sat on rocked forward and landed on all its legs. It squeaked lightly beneath his weight as he narrowed his sharp eyes at her, obviously not accepting the argument she had offered.

"Me neither but who cares?"

She couldn't help but smile at that.

"Your logic is always so flawless, huh?"

He grinned, pulling off the bloodied gloves before he reached for the permanent marker and paper block beside her. Curiously she leaned towards him, glimpsing at whatever he was messily scribbling down on the paper until she slowly but surely was able to put together the letters and numbers.

"You really think people will just put money into the can and go in?"

The basketball player shrugged with his broad shoulders, putting the cap back onto the marker.

"They ain't me, _so_, maybe."

Mia laughed and watched her tall classmate shove the can and note towards the edge of the table. He pushed his chair back with his legs as he stood up, the gloves which annoyed him left behind as he quirked a brow at her still sitting form.

"Comin' or not?"

She did hesitate. For a second, where her smile faltered and her mind concluded how many things could go wrong if she just left her position at the entrance of the haunted house. Her dark eyes flickered towards the broad sign above the door, a creation of Sakurai alone she heard, which looked great with the bloody '_H_' and its chaotic streaks. Before finally she reached for his abandoned gloves which she laid onto the note as if they were holding the paper in place.

The excuse was weak, but hey, a ghost clerk for a haunted house? Maybe the class rep won't kill her for that creative idea.

"Coming." She confirmed, grinning at the giant who waited impatiently beside the table.

* * *

><p>It was amazing how many people had come to visit the festival. There were many families around, middle school students who wanted to check out the academy before they decided that maybe they should aim to get here. Or only people who lived close by and were curious enough to look what the Culture Festival had to offer.<p>

And not to forget all the classes and clubs who had truly put much effort into their projects, the halls and campus were decorated with colorful flags and paper-roses. Posters were glued to the walls to invite the people to visit all the many booths which could be found on the different floors of the academy.

Mia and Aomine had both naturally stopped at a stall outside, buying some fried noodles while they continued their adventurous exploration trip over the campus.

"I wonder how Satsuki-san is doing." The orange-head mumbled before she stuffed a handful of noodles into her mouth.

"As long as she isn't cooking everything is fine."

Mia blinked at him in surprise, the experience and dread in his voice was a bit puzzling.

"Not good?"

"_Deadly_."

She had to refrain from laughing while there was still some food in her mouth. The girl hid her lips behind the hand which held the chopsticks, her eyes looking up to the teenager who actually snickered at her scrunched up expression.

Thank god, it felt natural to wander around with him like this.

Aomine did receive a few looks here and there thanks to his outfit but if anything, she already got used to that because his height always made him stand out. She followed his long strides through the crowd, glancing around at all the familiar faces of her fellow students and classmates. The scent was amazing, a mix of sweetness and spices which filled the air of the campus. Turning slowly into an orchestra of sound, scent and other sensations.

Noisy and lively.

Just like a Culture Festival was supposed to be.

"Please visit the 1-C!"

Mia jumped a bit startled as a girl approached her in a pink cat costume. The one-suit looked huge and comfy, and with the hood and fitting animal ears it flattered her heart-shaped face nicely.

"We have a fortune telling booth!" She smiled broadly, urging the orange-head to take the flyer.

A bit baffled she accepted the bright pink colored paper, quietly wondering what her costume had to do with that topic. However, she guessed it was more or less only helping her to gain attention and lead customers to their location. But a fortune telling booth...?

Ah.

They forged their class and a club together, Mia had heard about that.

"Thank you, I'll try to come by later."

"Nidori."

Aomine had stopped a few steps ahead of her, twisting around with that familiar hard expression on his face. Hastily the girl bowed her head in thanks to the friendly cat girl, jogging towards the blue haired basketball player who stuffed his now empty hands into his pockets.

"Sorry. So, where do we go to next?"

He shrugged with his shoulders uncaringly. As long as they didn't have to return to the haunted house he didn't really care it seemed. It was enough for Mia to figure out where she wanted to head next to at least. While she finished the last bit of her meal, she pointed towards the building of the second years, her round eyes blinking up towards her tall classmate.

"Let's check out Nanami's booth, they are selling an anthology."

"_Aah_? Sounds boring."

Mia bumped into his side, narrowing her gaze at the light lopsided grin which was growing on his lips. "It's not boring! And you don't have a better idea either."

"I could go sleep on the roof..."

"The class rep is going to have _your_ head if you disappear for the rest of the day like that."

"I don't care."

He really was a lost cause. It was unbelievable how stubborn a guy could be even if everyone around him was hard working and busy. And he was obviously enjoying her glare judging by the teasing smirk he wore. Mia could hardly imagine what Satsuki already had for disagreements with him over the years. It must have been a true battle sometimes. Eagerly the girl opened her mouth, another useless argument rolling off her tongue until both of them froze at the sound of an object.

_Click_.

"Want to check out the Photography Club? We're selling all the photos we take later on!"

Too many people.

Mia blinked at the girl to their left who grinned at them with a heavy-looking camera in her hands; a sign was hung around her neck, exposing the location of their club and what they offered. There were too many people outside for someone to have a single conversation in peace.

Awkwardly the orange-head tried to shake her head - a photograph suddenly sounded like evidence for something people shouldn't see, whatever that was that is - but the tall teenager at her side reacted faster. He didn't really reply but grabbed her wrist to escape the photography club member, dragging Mia into the crowd of people.

For the first time she actually agreed with his drastic escape, her wrist easily wiggling out of his tight grip until her hand slipped into his.

She only had to ignore her heartbeat which picked up its pace as his fingers closed around hers, tightening their hold as the two of them rushed with a wave of people into the building. Leaving the slightly confused girl without a second thought behind.

* * *

><p>It suddenly felt like hide-and-seek.<p>

Stupid, really.

But Mia couldn't help but grin as both of them stepped quickly into a room as they saw their class rep walking down the hall. It happened without a question or a word. Their gazes recognized the familiar high pony tail of the brunette, her glasses shining in the sunlight and just like that they rushed into a colorful room which was darkened softly by drawn curtains.

The orange-head breathed in relief as she quickly turned around and saw their classmate pass the room they found themselves in. Her hand gave Aomine's a squeeze of assurance, a sign that they were safe until both of them nearly jumped into the air once more. They were startled by another person who had appeared out of nowhere, swinging a colorful staff into their faces.

Mia nearly yelped out of surprise, her body flung back by the basketball player who actually pushed her back out of reflex. Although it was actually laughable. All what had scared them was a small girl who wore a purple coat, the stick which was nothing but a plastic toy with a pink star on its tip.

"Are you here to hear your special fortune?"

"_What?_" Aomine barked in annoyance, his frown only softening as Mia found the strength to tug at his arm.

"Sorry, what?" She repeated once more.

The girl pointed at the pink flyer in her hand, her droopy eyes wandering from the object to the teenagers who still hadn't calmed completely down from their heart attack yet. The orange-head scanned the paper in her free hand, ghosting over the content before the dreaded blush, she had avoided all day, creeped into her face.

_'Special fortune of the Day - Love!'_

No.

_No. No. No. No._

No.

Mia didn't need that. Oh, why had they used this room as a hiding spot and no other? She could feel her hand start to sweat which still held onto Aomine's. The grip she had actually already forgotten felt suddenly so foreign once more and she would have loved to just quickly pull away and laugh it off if her limbs hadn't suddenly tensed up as she realized how this all looked like.

"Uh, no, _no_. No." Mia stammered helplessly. "Thanks, but. No, I, uh..."

Aomine's heavy gaze landed on her, his forehead set in wrinkles at her sudden change of mood but the girl beside him couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Tugging weakly at their joined hands she urged him to leave with her. As long as he didn't notice what she had noticed...then maybe she was still able to walk around with her head held high instead of buried beneath tons of sand to suffocate herself.

"Let's go."

The basketball player let her lead, his glare aimed at the unknown girl behind them who still swung her staff childishly around. It wasn't like he really wanted to stay there either even though he didn't understand why she had suddenly felt the need to get out of the room so fast.

Mia pulled him successfully out of the booth nevertheless, biting her tongue in hope the stinging pain would get rid of the blush which clung to her cheeks. That was just her tough luck, wasn't it? The moment where she actually accepted something as silly as _that_ the whole world tried to mock her for it.

"It's all '_go_'!"

_What?_

The basketball player and Mia came to a halt, turning around to the girl in the purple cape who formed a big 'o' with her tiny arms above her head.

"Your fortune is all _'go'_!"

"The hell is she talking about?" Aomine grumbled.

"I...I wonder...?"

Quirking his brow he bent down to the orange haired girl, his navy colored eyes staring intently at her glowing face. He wasn't grinning for a second, or frowning. He was only staring at her openly in the hallway while a few people walked past them, talking excitedly about the stalls and classrooms they were visiting next.

"What?" Mia mumbled.

Aomine didn't reply, his gaze merely flickered to her lips as they moved but afterwards he locked their gazes once more. For her it wasn't really helping that he was so close, every time he invaded her personal space as if it was nothing. Tactless and egocentric as ever. Breaking walls with a swift movement like this while still appearing nonchalant about it. Mia could go on and on about his flaws.

But his expression twisted suddenly into a frown as he saw something in the corner of his eyes.

"Shit, the class rep." He muttered beneath his breath, tugging at their hands to force her to move. "Come on."

May the hide-and-seek begin once more.


	38. Day One Hundred Thirteen II

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**Lavynya**_, _**ksbKipper1998**_ - Glad you liked it!, _**princess thieves of heart**_ - Aomine the trouble-maker, _**Crys**_ - Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy it!, _**Nuttydaisies**_ - Who knows, who knows! I can't wait for Winter Cup as well., _**CopraMeow**_ - muhahaha! _Evil laughter_!, _**HiddenCamelia**_ - But I love teasing you guys! And it's such a relief that he isn't OOC, always happy to hear that! He can be a pain. And that you like Mia, haha., _**SamTsui**_ - I'm glad you enjoy it. And who knows, haha. It's up to your interpretation., _**BDDB**_ - Yay, the culture festival! Glad you liked the ideas and the anime Hyouka had been a great help, it's awesome. Let the teasing continue, muhaha. And _**Saiko**_ - I'm happy to hear that, haha. I hope you'll like my take on the events.

And here it is, the second part of the culture festival! I hope you'll enjoy it and forgive my late update. My dad's birthday may be over but my own one is tomorrow and I kinda have to plan the damn party on Sunday and stuff. I hope I can update on that day.

Thank you all for the lovely follows, favorites and review! I hope the pace is not too rushed!

* * *

><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED THIRTEEN<strong>_

It wasn't easy to walk against the flow of visitors in the hallway, but the blue haired teen made his way through the people anyway. Dragging her along as if she weighted nothing, she realized it was a true struggle to double her small steps so she could keep up with his. But she made it and glimpsed a few times over her shoulder to see if the class rep was still in sight.

At first she didn't see her anymore. A relief because it meant they escaped any possible punishment - but then after a few girls disappeared in a room to their left she could see the familiar serious girl in the distance. Her gaze slowly wandering into their direction-

Mia panicked and hauled her tall classmate into a classroom to their right.

"Shit, Nidori." Aomine hissed out of surprise. "What are you-?"

"And we have our final pair!" A loud voice interrupted them. It was a boy around their age who gestured towards the puzzled teenagers with a grin. A microphone in his hand let his voice boom through the room, his laughter echoing back from every corner. "What are your names?"

"Uh..." The orange-head stared baffled at the student in front of them, her gaze slowly traveling into the room which had filled with an audience and three other pairs of students. They stood behind a little lectern which was decorated just like everything else. One other desk next to them was empty though.

"Your names?" The boy urged them again which finally melted Mia's frozen body. Hectically she pulled her hand away from the blue haired teen beside her, her embarrassment crawling through her veins as she tried to reply without stumbling over her own words.

"We, we weren't really, I mean, we were only..."

"The first prize is a coupon for over fifthteen Teriyaki Burger." The student suddenly whispered over the tip of the microphone, obviously stubborn enough to find the last participants he needed for the quiz to start.

"We're in." Aomine suddenly deadpanned and Mia turned around to him flabbergasted.

"_Wait, what?_"

"I'm hungry." He replied nonchalant, shrugging with his shoulders.

But what about the class rep outside!

Uncaringly the basketball player gave him their names which made the boy grin brightly. With a dramatic turn he looked towards the audience which had gathered, some people stopped outside to look through the open door as the quiz master introduced the pairs which were competing against another. There were students from Tōō Academy next to the two pairs of visitors who were laughing about the young quiz master who goofily jumped from one place to another. And the orange haired girl felt so out of place behind the lectern and beside the basketball player who seriously considered getting caught over food.

"We had fried noodles about twenty minutes ago." She reminded him.

But all Aomine did was snort. "I'm hungry _again_. And Teriyaki Burgers are the best."

Mia sighed heavily, nervously glancing at the audience in front of them who all talked to each other about who knew what. Some were students of their school, others already older - parents or siblings - who came to check out what their family members had done for the festival. In the end she could do nothing but give in because there was no way in hell she'd escape the room without having witnesses.

"Alright! Let's get started!" The quiz master announced, accepting gratefully a card a girl handed him.

"The word 'diamond' comes from the Greek 'adámas' and the word 'emerald' comes from the Greek 'smaragdos'...is that true? Or false?"

A little silence filled the room, anticipated whispers and murmurs filling the air. The teen at her side frowned at the question, his sudden idea to just win the first price appeared to be suddenly far away and he had to remember the school festival in his middle school. The year where he had participated in a similar quiz with Kise - where both, he and the blonde had been stuck at that part of the race for an eternity...

Mia, however, pushed the buzzer on their lectern. A noisy sound rung through the air and the quiz master turned towards them giddily.

"Your answer, team four?"

"It's true."

The boy threw his fist into the air, his grin exposing the white teeth as he turned towards the audience in front of them.

"_Correct_!"

The orange-head flushed as the many glances of the guests landed on her. The audience clapping their hands as the girl appeared, setting a bright pink colored ball onto their desk to signal they had passed the first question. Mia thanked her quietly, holding onto the object to keep her fingers busy while Aomine actually leaned down to her ear.

"You _knew_ that?"

She quickly turned towards him, trying to fight off the blush which wasn't helping her and the close proximity they had now.

"Karane-Sensei had told us about it in chemistry class...last week, you don't remember?"

The teenager laughed, shaking his head. "Psh, like I'm listening."

The quiz continued. Question about all sorts of things were asked, sadly mathematic equations as well. Something both of them sucked at. But certain things about sports or idols were actually answered by the blue haired basketball player; the orange-head wouldn't have expected that at all. Although she shouldn't have been surprised how much he knew about the popular _'Ikari-chan'_ who had apparently a big interview in the latest gravure Idol magazine he read.

Of course he would know such stuff...

"And now the final questions for the finalists! Team one and team four!" The quiz master called out energetically. He received a little applause and cheers, the friends of the other team were calling out to them to give their best.

"However, it'll be a lot different than before! Mayaka-chan?"

The girl who played his assistant handed the participants a black marker and pad, causing a bit of confusion as the students stared at the objects in bewilderment. The boy, however, who swung the microphone grinned brightly at the finalists, lifting his forefinger into the air to gain their attention.

"It is a team game! So now the final questions will tell how good you know your partner!"

What?

"We're screwed." Mia breathed. She knew close to nothing about him, didn't she?

The quiz master ignored the curious mumbles and questioning glances, laughing excitedly at the many faces of the audience and participants before he pumped his fist once more into the air.

"Alright! Let's try something easy - when is the birthday of your partner? Two points can be earned! However, the moment you both give different answers it's over! Ladies first - your guess?"

His eyes landed on Mia and the other girl who both slowly got hold of the marker and pad. Aomine beside her was forced to do the same, writing down his own birthday date while she had to do the same. The orange-head sighed, she was lucky that Satsuki had pulled her along in her plans because thanks to her, she knew when her classmate had turned sixteen.

"And~ you answer is?"

The participants all held the pad into the air. It was definitely an easy question for friends, family or people who were in a relationship. But Mia had never told Aomine her birthday before, it never came up even though they were friends now but they just didn't talk about such stuff.

"Correct on both sides! One point for each team, now, the other way round~ gentlemen it is your turn."

Well, they did come far, she mused.

Carefully Mia scribbled down the 20th November. The late month which slowly leaded the fall into the winter was the time where she had been born sixteen years ago. Soon she'd turn sixteen as well, just like the giant beside her who stared at the pad in front of him with the same blank expression he always carried. He surely wouldn't know that.

"Time's over - your answers, please!"

The teenagers turned the pad around, showing off their reply to the boy who checked the answers just as happily as he did before. And after a short look he made a little jump, turning back to the audience who all watched his antics with amusement.

"_Correct_, of course!"

Wait, what?

Bewildered by his words Mia turned towards the basketball player, he didn't look at her though. Aomine rubbed his neck, definitely feeling her heavy stare as she gaped at him. It was true, she noted. Right on the paper in front of him, written in his messy handwriting was the very date of her birthday.

"How do you know when my birthday is...?"

The teen muttered something. So quiet it was barely audible but she caught something about Satsuki and her noisy bubbling. That was an excuse, she thought, an excuse which didn't change the fact that he had actually listened to his childhood friend as she told him something about the orange-head. _The_ lazy Aomine knew when her birthday was. He remembered it.

And that fact alone made her smile.

"The next question will be tougher!" The quiz master announced. "What is the biggest fear of your partner?!"

* * *

><p>"Who in the world writes <em>'nothing'<em>?" Mia asked out loud as they walked down the hallway.

"Tch, why should I be afraid of something? There is no one out there who can challenge me."

The girl sighed, glancing at the coupon in her hands. It was obvious that they wouldn't win the first prize anymore but the second place didn't leave without empty hands either. They would receive cake and tea for free at one of the Cafés of their classmates. A treat Mia could live with just fine.

She stuffed the little piece of paper into the pocket of her cardigan, taking a deep breath to get rid of the last bit of tension in her body. At least they seemed to have escaped their class rep; the trouble she was in was all caused by the basketball player beside her. Who didn't appear to be guilty at all, she must add.

"No one can beat you, huh?" Mia breathed which actually earned her a dry side-glance.

"Wanna challenge me?"

"Just wait until we play World Fighters. No one beats _me_ there." She laughed.

Aomine's face was lit up by a lopsided grin, cheeky and mean-looking but it fit him just fine. He had finally slowed down his pace, his long strikes steady enough for her and her short legs to keep up with him while they moved around aimlessly.

"Sounds like a deal." The basketball player replied.

"Oh, yeah. Which Café should we go to? I heard the second years made a Ninja themed one."

Mia turned towards the hallway which leaded to the other building complex, expecting that the giant would trail after her without putting up a fight. But to her surprise she didn't come far. A single step was needed until the girl felt his broad hand reach for hers. The movement was smooth, the warmth and rough skin already familiar just like the pulsating jump her heart made as she felt his fingers slip through hers.

Her body came to a halt as she felt him intertwine their fingers, something she had done days ago, too. Quietly. Without a word or explanation. And now he did the same, not looking at her but tugging at their joined hands to make her follow him instead.

"I saw a better one."

Mia wanted to say something else, her eyes flying to their hands where her fingers still twitched helplessly until she forced them to hold onto him as well. It looked so strange. Her feet felt heavy with her nervousness. Like iron. Or rocks. While her heart was ready to run a mile it seemed. But she forced herself to move anyway, watching the back of his head as her face darkened with every step they took.

That sly idiot.

Did he know what he was doing?

The orange-head bit her bottom lip. Trudging after him obediently up the staircase he aimed for. _Jeez_. She really did like holding his hand...and maybe if he wouldn't be so...well, what was she supposed to do now anyway? Did she want something else to happen? Mia never actually had reached the point she had now, all what she knew about such stuff was out of light novels and mangas.

And everybody knew that they surely weren't as realistic as they hoped they'd be...Mia still hadn't seen all those weird sparkles and roses yet.

"Aomine..."

"Mh?"

"What are you afraid of for real?"

The basketball player threw a glare over his shoulder, half-hearted and weak, before he looked forward again.

"Nothing."

"Not helpful."

"Tch. I don't know, ghosts are pretty creepy."

Mia bit her tongue to keep from laughing.

"You believe in ghosts?"

"Shut up."

This time he did look a lot angrier than before. But the girl didn't feel threatened, only encouraged to laugh harder. She would have never thought that he believed in such things, but here he was. Afraid of ghosts. Aomine tugged at their hands forcefully, making her stumble into his side but it was a weak try to make her stop. The laughter only shrunk slowly into a handful of giggles.

"Shit." The giant suddenly hissed, pulling the girl quickly towards him as he pressed himself against the wall.

"W-what?" Mia asked hectically, the fun vanishing in an instant.

"Class rep."

"Damn it...what now?"

Aomine furrowed his brow, glancing around the corner carefully before he looked back to her. It was obvious they wouldn't get around her. And now after they had probably already fooled around for an hour or more they were bound to get into trouble. What now, she wanted to ask once more. She couldn't think of any more places to hide. Let's not forget the times she tried to and only brought them more chaos.

"I know." The tall teen muttered suddenly, turning back towards the staircase.

Their linked hands gave her no choice but to follow his lead. Up the steps towards the higher floor where less visitors were around. Mia watched his broad back, the torn up suit still revealing the bloodied shirt he wore beneath it. All she could do was walk after him, down the rather empty corridor until she came to a halt.

"Look."

Aomine stopped and turned back around as the girl pointed out of the window. A class had started a cooking event in the backyard, one group competing against another. But what really caught her eye was the certain black haired girl in one of the teams.

"It's Nanami."

The blue haired basketball player beside her pushed the broad window open, letting all the noise inside with the warmth of the fresh autumn. Many voices of teenagers clashed against another as they cheered the teams on, Literature Club against the Astronomy Club. Excitedly Mia let go of his hand to lean onto the windowsill, trying to make out who her friend's team partners were.

But the distance was too great.

"You think she'll win?" She asked before she glanced at Aomine who chose to lean against the windowsill beside her. The basketball player crossed his arms on top of it, staring bored at the masses of people which had gathered beneath them.

"Who knows..." A pause. "...what are you afraid of?"

Surprised she blinked at her classmate, her mind recalling their previous light conversation. "Mh...I'm not sure...I don't like spiders, I guess? I mean if I can see them it's all cool but the second they disappear I get the creeps."

Aomine started to laugh quietly which made her scowl at him.

"Shut up. It's reasonable."

Trying to hide her embarrassment she buried her red face into her folded arms, glancing over the brim of the fabric of her cardigan at the contest outside. The voice of the announcer was a bit quiet, but thanks to the microphone still loud enough to hear that the time was slowly running out for the students.

"I'm tired." He grumbled, bumping his head suddenly against hers. "I wanna sleep."

Mia slowly turned towards him, but from her angle she had with her head still laying on her folded arms she could only see his short blue haired. It tickled her cheeks as she moved, making her scrunch her nose slightly before the basketball player twisted his face towards hers.

They both stared at each other quietly, both too lazy to move because after all the running and hiding it was nice to have a made-shift pillow beneath their heads. And a little break. Mia didn't think their class rep was appearing here any time soon.

"I want to eat chocolate cake..." The orange-head mumbled, something which made the teen next to her laugh quietly into his sleeve.

The sound was so loud thanks to their proximity, she could feel the vibration through his arm which touched hers. It made her nerves flutter. Her cheeks tingled as his breath ghosted over her skin. It was so stupid how easily she reacted to things like this. She felt so awkward because she didn't know what to do or to think except that it all was so damn annoying.

"Let's get chocolate cake then."

The basketball player stated as he suddenly stood up again. Mia followed his movement curiously, slowly lifting her head while Aomine was busy looking down the empty hallway as if he tried to conclude how far the class rep could have now gone.

"For real?"

"We got the damn free ticket, so why not."

Smiling at that idea she nodded, pushing her body away from the windowsill and the loud cheers from outside. If they hadn't been caught after eating some cake and drinking tea then she surely had to go and find Nanami to ask about the results and the very reason why she had competed in a cooking event anyway.

"Let's go."

Aomine already started walking down the hallway, giving Mia an invisible pull to finally follow him as well. And the moment was there. The second where she thought about reaching for his hand again. But he had made it look so natural before, the movement so swift and easy while she suddenly struggled with that.

Just what in the world was she going to do with these stupid thoughts?

Uncertain she held onto her dark cardigan, clinging onto the fabric where she could feel her heart beat. Did it have to be him anyway? Couldn't it be someone easier? The typical prince charming or something like that, a friendly guy who made it all simple and sweet...

"Nidori."

Jumping slightly she quickly looked up. She glanced at his familiar hard edged expression, the lines on his forehead slightly softening as he stared at her. He was, without a doubt, able to see the blush which had crawled onto her cheeks once more. For a second she had feared he had heard her thoughts which would have meant her death. Definitely. If not she would have probably jumped out of the window or something because nothing could be worse than him knowing what her heart went through recently.

But instead of mocking her or commenting her grimace, he offered his hand. For first time really inviting her to take action instead of just doing it like before. Mia stared at it, his tanned skin and long fingers. His hand which was already bigger than her own and the terrible warmth and heart seizure which came with it.

However, all of it didn't matter as she willingly laid her own one onto his palm. She gave him the chance to easily engulf her pale hand in his, his fingers curling around hers to secure the hold on them while his teasing grin grew by the sight of her growing blush.

Finally finding her courage somewhere along the way she scowled up at him.

"Shut up."


	39. Day One Hundred Twenty

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**princess thieves of heart**_ - Glad you enjoyed it!, _**ksbKipper1998**_ - Thank you!, _**Lavynya**_ - Haha, I'm happy you liked it!, _**Seranyan**_ - Not this time, muhahaha., _**mikklystar**_ - Unofficial official, haha. I like the sound of that. I'm glad you enjoyed it!, _**Savage Kill**_ - Doesn't it? I love chocolate cake., _**TenraiTsukiyomi**_ - Oh my, thank you! I'm getting slowly old, haha. And finally the Winter Cup is closing in on us!, _**KungFuCoffee**_ - Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it!, _**HiddenCamelia**_ - Mia and Aomine Powers activated! Watch out world! Haha., _**Saiko**_ - I'm glad I could answer it before you could ask. I should really check that as well, zodiac signs and their relationships could maybe deliver some more inspiration. And I'm happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for the birthday wishes!, _**Navia-chan**_ - Oh my, thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. And phew...I actually wanted to be finished on the 17th March but I'm afraid it'll take a bit more chapters...around...10 maybe? I don't even know how this will end, haha., _**VenVen**_ - I'm glad you enjoyed it! And _**Aho Dia**_ - I'm happy you liked it! And I like embarrassed Aomine as well, haha. It was fun to write him flustered. And thank you for the lovely birthday wish [I hope you call it that? Haha.], I had a great - busy - day with the family.

I'm afraid this chapter is very short, and very late and the worst of all for you guys - it lacks Aomine. Sorry about that, I was very busy today. Family, dinner, wonderful presents and I had to push the time and plot once more into the right direction. Tomorrow I have a bit more time so you can count on a longer and fluffier chapter then.

Karen...damn, I won't finish this thing on time. Your parents lied to you, honey. You were born some time later. Very late March. Really. 'Cuz damn I'm so slow, haha. Forgive me!

Thank you for the lovely favorites, follows and reviews! And, of course, the birthday wishes! You guys are so sweet!

* * *

><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED TWENTY<strong>_

"Oh, my senpai had challenged her friend. So...in the end it became a battle between clubs."

Nanami shrugged disinterested with her shoulders, nibbling on the piece of chocolate in her hand as both of them watched absent-minded the movie on the screen. Mia however, rolled lightly onto her side, the bed beneath her rustling as the blanket got twisted by her movement.

"Just like that?"

The black haired girl nodded. "We won, too." Her violet colored gaze slowly travelled to the girl beside her. "You came pretty late to buy the anthology, had been the haunted house a success?"

Mia started to chew on her tongue. Musing about the little adventure she had experienced on the Culture Festival thanks to the blue haired teen. The class rep had found them in the end anyway, although Aomine had to face the wrath more than she did. The girl which had changed shift with her had luckily come early and hadn't snitched her to the upset girl.

The orange-head had to still thank her for that.

"I guess." She mumbled quietly. "I was kinda all over the place."

Quickly she looked at Nanami to cover up her distracted thoughts.

"But I read it on the same day; it was great - you all worked on it?"

Her friend hummed. Her lips twitched into a light smile as she scanned Mia's face, her gaze easily picking up the tiny hints of what she tried to hide. But as the girl started to fidget on the spot next to her on the bed, she showed mercy and turned back towards the television in front of them.

"Yeah. With the help of the seniors...I guess, I do have to give Imayoshi some credit."

"Ima...yoshi...Imayoshi-san? The captain of the basketball team?" Mia asked surprised while her friend nodded.

"He helped me to gather the information from his classmates, opinions, memories and all that stuff. He isn't too bad."

That was a first for her to hear. She didn't even know Nanami had met the certain senior or that they had worked together. It was rare for her to ask someone else than the orange-head for assistance. She hadn't really seen the dark haired basketball player since the practice either...so how come she and him had become friends somewhere along the way behind her back?

"Huh..." Mia breathed quietly.

"Why don't you, on the other hand, tell me about _your_ day?"

"What?"

Nanami cupped her chin with her hand, her cool expression staring her down.

"The last days were all about cleaning up and learning. We rarely saw each other."

"Well, I...bought some food...participated in a quiz...won the second place?" Mia tried to smile but the blank expression on the black haired girl's face didn't change in the slightest. "We should focus on the exams, you know. They are starting the day after tomorrow."

"You really suck at this, Mia."

"Shut up."

The orange-head grumbled, breaking their eye contact as she tried to watch the movie once more. It wasn't like she didn't trust Nanami or something like that. It was more like she didn't know how to word it herself without dying from embarrassment. But her friend was just as stubborn as she was, still watching her from the corner of her eye.

"Nanami...what...what do you do...when you...you know..._think_. You, kinda...maybe, like...someone?"

The blank expression finally broke, a sly smile crawling on to her lips as she lifted a single eyebrow.

"Those were a lot words to say that you got a crush."

Mia grimaced, rubbing her face with her hands. She tried to get rid of the warmth and flushed skin which, of course, wasn't happening. Her body was betraying her. _That bastard_. The only good thing was that there was no one else in this room to see her except her best friend. At least a small comfort...

"I wouldn't call it a crush." The orange haired girl tried to argue. "Uh...temporary...confusion of puberty?"

"Sure." Nanami drawled.

"I just-" Mia groaned burying her face in her bed, her fingers clinging onto the blanket to keep them from scratching her own eyes out. "-_you're enjoying this, aren't you?_"

Nanami laughed breathlessly. "Oh, I am. Trust me."

"I just, I just don't know what to do." Mia sighed, slowly lifting her head to look at her friend. "What _am_ I supposed to do?"

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it?"

"Not for me. Mangas always make it look so easy - a confession here, love rival there. And all the drama before the protagonists finally get together...such stuff doesn't happen in real life. Now, does it?"

Nanami shrugged with her shoulders, her smile slowly slipping away as she glanced calmly at the movie which had already reached the climax. Although neither of them had bothered to really watch it anymore.

"I dunno. Wait until the exams are over, maybe then you know if it's worth it?"

Mia mumbled something quietly to herself, folding her arms to rest her head upon them. Her friend wasn't maybe really the most helpful person concerning advice and love but she surely had the right words upon her lips to make her feel better anyway. But what if the exams were over...what was she supposed to do then if she still didn't know what to do?

Confess? Like hell. She _maybe_ liked Aomine...but was it really like...that _like_?

He was rude. How did she even start to like him anyway? And why would he like her? God, it was so annoying. All those thoughts, all these questions.

"I know." Nanami suddenly said, pulling her out of her train of thoughts. "The class wanted to go out after the exams are over with the money everyone earned at the Culture Festival - that could be the deadline. Until then you check it out if it's just a _'confusion of puberty'_."

"Oh, stop it. I can hear you laughing over here."

The black haired girl smiled. "I'm not laughing."

"You are. On the inside, stop it."

Nanami shook her head, amused by the antics of the girl beside her. But slowly she stretched her arms and legs out, relaxing her sore muscles. Both of them enjoyed the calm before the storm. The exams which once more tried to ruin their simple school life with all the pressure and grades which had to be good enough or else their parents would throw a fit.

However, the black haired girl hadn't expected that her friend would have realized her feelings so fast. She had expected to see her struggle a little bit longer, although that side of Mia was still amusing as well.

"I hope we won't do Karaoke." Nanami hummed, settling down again to get more comfortable.

"Me, too."


	40. Day One Hundred Thirty Eight

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**Preppy-Stealthy-Ninja**_ - Oh my, thank you. I'm glad you enjoy it and your birthday is one day after mine? Happy birthday to you then! Haha, I hope you had a great day., _**Savage Kill**_ - That. Sounds. So. Delicious. I can imagine how that doesn't survive long, haha., _**KsbKipper1998**_ - I'm glad you liked it!, _**princess thieves of heart**_ - MAYBE! Haha, who knows, who knows? And confessions aren't my thing either, it's a struggle! And I love Aomine's way to show affection as well, it's so stupid and jerk-like., _**Mybfflisazombie**_ - Thank you! I enjoyed the day with my family; on Sunday will be a party with friends. Hooray. We'll see how these two stubborn teens will make it happen and we'll see if I can put a few more scenes with Nanami and Imayoshi in there, it wasn't planned but they kinda got soft spot it seemed xD, _**OrangeLightning-Mik**_ - Yes, I got older! Thank you, haha. And of course, a little love for those two - I'm glad you liked it. And it is a relief to hear that even a chapter without the jerk is well received. You never know. I hope you'll continue to enjoy the story!, _**AkibaraLatina**_ - I think it's funny, too. But more watching than singing myself, I'm a horrible singer, haha., _**LuzElvaParra17**_ - Oh my, thank you! I'm glad you like it., _**HiddenCamelia**_ - I really like the friendship of these two, as well. Mia is really stubborn, isn't she? Haha. And _**Guest**_ - Phew, I don't know to be honest. I'm not a fan of yaoi but I don't really write OC stories either, this here was an exception, kinda. But if you guys would really like to read some more I could think about it, haha. Akashi really seems to be popular. Let's get surprised together.

A big time jump, more hints here and there. I can finally start with the Winter Cup, starting with the practice match against Josei, I think they were called and the Onsen and the meeting with Kuroko and Kagami and character development and so on.

Sheesh, I hope you won't mind the time jump, haha. Thank you guys for all the lovely follows, favorites, reviews and birthday wishes. I'm glad you enjoy this story.

* * *

><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED THIRTY EIGHT<strong>_

It was karaoke.

Of course it was.

Mia grumbled to herself as she rummaged through her closet for the skirt she had bought last time she went shopping with her mother. Her class surely wasn't creative, because the second someone offered they could go to the Karaoke place at the Kagenai train station, the majority agreed. She had wanted to go somewhere else, Nanami as well - but the two of them and handful of others had no chance against the bigger part of the class.

So now, here she was. Searching for the skirt and sweater she wanted to wear because slowly the autumn became colder. The summer had left them completely behind, just like the exams which luckily finally ended. It was hard to remember how much she had learned for them, how the days passed and how her mind never really found the answer for her little...problem...either.

"I'm not going to sing..." Mia mumbled as she finally got hold on what she was looking for.

Maybe she could arrive a bit later, Nanami did so as well. Although her friend had no other choice because her mother wanted to visit their aunt together, that lucky girl had a good excuse in contrast to her. It still could be fun, she guessed. Getting to know her classmates better, she definitely had Sakurai to turn to.

The moment she checked the tall mirror on the wall, staring at her own reflection her mobile phone started ringing. Quickly the girl made her way towards her desk, grabbing the little black device to see who called her. And surprisingly it was no one else than the blue haired teenager.

"Yeah?" She asked carefully after she had flicked the phone open, pressing it against her ear.

_"Where are you?"_

Mia hesitated for a second, she still hadn't get used to the tone of his voice. It always sounded deeper over the static line, gruff and loud because she heard him talk so close to her ear. She never really thought about it before but it _did_ sound nice...however, as that thought hit her she couldn't help but feel flustered.

"Uh, I'm, I'm still at home - why?" Her gaze hastily flickered to the clock on her desk. "We're supposed to meet...thirty...minutes ago. _Oh_."

_"Figured."_ He drawled.

The girl furrowed her brow, leaning against the desk in front of her. "_Well_, what about you? Already singing?"

_"Tch, as if. I was taking a nap at home, but Satsuki threw me out."_ She could hear him grumble in annoyance, his sentence ending in a yawn. _"...your house is the one with the blue roof, right?"_

The orange-head paused, blinking blankly at the table in front of her. A few notebooks were sprawled across the surface; her finger was pushing her pencil back and forth until his words slowly sunk through her thick skull. Her family house had indeed a blue roof. With snow-white walls and a few flowers which framed the paved way towards their door. Although those were already withering thanks to the grey weather...

But why in the world did he ask that?

"Y-yeah? I mean, yes. It is, but...why?"

As if on cue the doorbell started ringing. The sound making her jump as her head whipped around towards her window. He couldn't be...right? Hectically she stumbled towards her window, pushing the fresh green colored curtains aside to take a daring glimpse. It was already dark outside, their class wanted to meet up on a Friday's night - but thanks to the lanterns of the street she could easily see the tall figure standing just behind the gate of the fence.

It was no one else but the basketball player, one hand buried in the pocket of the jacket he wore. The other holding onto a phone which he pressed against his ear just like she did and as her movement revealed the light of her room he looked up.

Oh, no.

How did he know where she lived? She never told him - the only people she had told her address was Nanami, _obviously_, the school and Satsuki who had asked her once about it and...oh. _Oh_. That bubbly student _really_ couldn't keep anything to herself, could she?

_"Coming?"_

Mia tried to form a word with her lips but her tongue suddenly felt heavy as she saw him outside. Her head was empty because the moment looked so surreal to see him there. That is...until her mind finally kicked back into action. She wasn't alone at home; her mother and father were here as well. And if she wasn't opening the door soon someone else would. Quickly she closed the curtains again, nearly running into her bed as she made her way around it towards her door.

"On my way."

The orange-head quickly shut her phone, stuffing it into the pocket of the jacket she had draped over her chair earlier. Her heart was suddenly excited again, hammering against her chest as the girl all but hurried to put the coat on, hectically checking the mirror again to make sure her hair wasn't a horrible mess. There was no time to put in her hair clip, the bright hair strands fell openly onto her shoulders where the ends curled.

It was okay.

Well, she looked presentable.

Normal.

Right?

"Whatever." Mia breathed as her feet already carried her out of her room. Her steps echoed loudly throughout the house as she rushed down the staircase. One bolt step after another. But as she reached the end which leaded into the small entry area of their house she already crashed into what she had wanted to avoid.

Her father had opened the door, revealing the blue haired teen who had stepped towards the entrance. Aomine had probably expected the girl to open it not her father. But now he was facing the man of the Nidori household, his hard expression actually not present as he blinked surprised at the older man in front of him.

Aomine rarely met anyone who was taller than him and not part of any basketball team.

"Huh." Mia's father breathed, his eyes traveling towards his daughter before they returned towards the boy. "_Who're you?_"

"That's, that's a friend of mine, dad." The orange-head explained. Too eager to quickly get out of the house, this was hardly a situation she wanted to experience.

"A _friend_?"

"Aomine Daiki." The basketball player introduced himself, to the girl's surprise he actually offered his hand to shake it; she hadn't really expected him to show any sort of manner.

A little perplex her father grabbed it, shaking it firmly while his light eyes scanned the visitor from head to toe. "How tall are you, boy? I rarely see anyone in my league around here."

"Same here." Her tall classmate drawled.

Mia had jumped down the last two steps in the meantime, forcing herself between the two males with a breathless laugh.

"Today the whole class meets up, remember? He's a classmate of mine."

The older man narrowed his gaze ever so slightly, the gears in his mind turning and grinding against another but before he could have concluded anything serious, Mia reacted. She turned around to push the basketball player outside, reluctantly Aomine let himself get forced out of the open door while the orange-head waved back to her father who still stood quietly in the entry way.

"See you later, dad!"

The teenafers finally made their way out of her home, closing the gate before they started walking down the street towards train station. And only after they had left his sight her father's eyes widened. Wildly he gestured with his hand, from his head towards the spot where Aomine had nearly reached his nose - _that kid was pretty tall for a Japanese_ - and abruptly the certain summer day came back to the surface of his mind.

"No way." The orange haired man breathed in panic. "Honey, _honey_ - where is my-"

"Don't you dare to start with your annoying baseball bat jokes."

"But that guy is-"

"He looks handsome, doesn't he?" His wife laughed.

"There is no way-"

"He _is_ tall."

Mia's father faltered, his expression falling as the woman behind him smiled knowingly. Pursing his lips, he slowly pushed the door back into its frame, grumbling something to himself about '_how he changed his mind_'. For him his daughter would always be too young for anything. But at least she was right and that kid was nearly as tall as him.

"...I'm still more handsome."

"_Well_...I don't know about that..."

"Wait, what?"

* * *

><p>Mia breathed in relief as they left her home behind. It could've become embarrassing if her father had really started to question her classmate, he was noisy enough to do so. But the girl would have never survived that, she probably would have tried to bash her head onto the wall in hope she'd fade before her dad could have asked something really stupid.<p>

"Your old man isn't from here, is he?"

The orange-head blinked at the teen beside her. Aomine was still pondering about the appearance of her father it seemed, his eyes staring off into the distance without paying attention to anything in particular.

"No, he is German. But we moved to Japan because he joined the business of my mother's family."

At that he finally awoke from his thoughts, his heavy gaze falling to her. "You didn't grow up here?"

Mia shook her head smiling. "Not exactly. I was six when we moved. Before that I lived in Germany."

"Heh..." The giant drawled, taking in the information she offered.

A comfortable silence filled the air, the only sound was their calm breathing and steps. The girl found herself looking at him from time to time, just to make sure that he was still really there because she didn't have the heart to really ask him why he had suddenly appeared on her doorstep like that. Well...it wasn't like she hated it either...she was just surprised. It did feel nice to get picked up.

Slowly the station came into sight; the two of them hurried a bit to catch the next train. The class rep did expect everyone to be there and they were already not on her favorite list after the Culture Festival, so being late was maybe not the best thing.

The door closed behind them swiftly, something which the orange-head used to lean against for support. The compartment was strangely full, adults and other teens on their way home or other locations to spent their free time with their friends.

Aomine yawned once more, his body easily building a wall between Mia and the others as they closed off the little corner next to the exit for themselves. The girl held onto her skirt as she stared at their feet, it was definitely unintentional but the close proximity was making her nervous anyway.

Nanami had made it sound so easy weeks ago. Wait till the exams are over, she said. You'll know then what to do. But now she was alone with him again and she had no idea. If only the Kagenai station would come soon so they could get off and join their class. It would certainly make this whole thing easier.

"Say something in German."

Mia quickly looked up at the sound of his voice, meeting his blue orbs which twinkled in something close to curiosity.

"Trottel." _Jerk_.

Aomine furrowed his brow. A moment of uncertainty flickering over his face as he tried to make out what the word could mean. The girl couldn't speak the other language fluently anymore, but the years of her childhood had still been filled with it. And, of course, if she did remember anything it were a bunch of insults.

"Tr...trott..." The basketball player struggled with the pronunciation, his expression scrunching up thanks to the foreign syllables on his tongue.

Mia started to smile at that, her nervousness melting away as she finally found the comfort in his company. That had been something which had surprised her the most as she got to know him in the beginning. The way they actually got along somehow.

"Stop smiling." He scowled. "What did it mean anyway?"

"Not telling." She laughed.

Her tall classmate was about to say something else but the compartment they were in started to tremble as the train swayed from side to side. The curve they moved in was harsh, the announcer stated which station was coming up - not theirs yet - and Aomine's arm shot out as he braced himself against the weight of a stranger who bumped into him from behind.

Mia actually jumped in surprise as his hand landed on the transparent door behind her. She blinked startled at his long arm beside her head; feeling suddenly more locked up then safely cut off from the strangers around them. The teen twisted his head around, grumbling something to the stranger who had nearly thrown him off balance while the edginess crawled back into the girl's bones.

Yeah, _great_.

Really great moment for her heart here, _thanks god_.

The orange haired girl stared at her boots once more in hope it would somehow help to conceal her frantic heartbeat. Not to forget the blush which had surely graced her cheeks the second his body had taken an unconscious step towards her.

"I hate trains..." Aomine muttered beneath his breath, his attention slowly returning to the girl in front of him who had started to pray that the ground would just try to suck her up in one motion.

But the world never seemed to hear her prayers.

"Yeah." She agreed quietly. She started to hate them, too."H-hey, isn't the Winter Cup finally starting?"

Thank god that the topic basketball was always a thing they could talk about, whether she died from embarrassment and cold feet or not. The giant shifted in front of her, his hand slowly slipping away from the glass. The teen found hold on a pole beside them instead, the slight shaking of the compartment calm enough to not throw them off their balance once more.

"I guess, the preliminaries do."

"Preliminaries?"

"We ain't participating in them; we're already in the final league." His explanation made her look up at him; the lines on his face were hard as he stared disinterested into the distance above her head. There he was again, frowning as if a tournament meant nothing.

"That's awesome."

Aomine shrugged with his shoulders.

"The only thing we got going on next week is a practice match."

Mia pursed her lips in thought. "Are you playing, too?"

"Dunno, they ain't worth it probably."

The orange-head frowned at his dark tune. He had said something similar back then as well. No one could beat him. He didn't need practice. He'd crush every single opponent easily. It was still hard to believe, even after she had already seen him play a tiny bit. Not to forget the times they had played together. The girl was not even close to being something like a real basketball player but she had seen how impossible it was to get past him.

"...you shouldn't say that. There is always somewhere someone who will be a real challenge."

Aomine's gaze fell to her face, his blank expression broken by a weak grin.

"I heard that one before."

"Well...maybe because it's true?"

Instead of replying he grabbed her wrist, pulling her with him through the doors which had suddenly opened on their own. They stepped out of the train compartment with a handful of strangers, following the flow towards the stairs which leaded towards the popular location their class met at. Mia found herself staring at the back of his head, musing how familiar this all already felt. The warmth, the tingling nerves and itching fingertips...how was she supposed to figure this out? She needed a new deadline. She still didn't know what to do with herself or him.

But what she did know was how easy it had become to wriggle her wrist out of his grasp. Her eyes followed her pale limb as it slipped out of his grip, his long fingers easily letting her arm pull back until her hand fell into his palm. She wasn't even able to retract her limb completely; the blue haired teen didn't give her a chance to do so as his fingers closed around her hand the minute it fitted.

She did like that...that couple stuff, it was small and nothing big. But it was warm and nice.

And the karaoke bar came way too fast into sight, she believed. Inside were her classmates, and Sakurai. And if she was patient enough Nanami soon as well...but it would be weird. Definitely. The girl sighed, rubbing her glowing face with her free hand as they reached the establishment.

"Great..._singing_." The basketball player grumbled, pushing the door open to step inside.

"Maybe we can get Sakurai-san to sing." Mia wondered.

Aomine actually laughed at that, his hand letting go of hers as they both approached the booked room. It was noisy and loud, the cheering and bad singing of a pair of boys ringing through the thick door. Mia hesitated for a second, her fingertips itching to reach out for his hand once more - but she didn't.

_'What am I supposed to do?'_

_'Well, it's obvious, isn't it?'_

_Yeah_, the girl thought as they opened the door to their classmates, _I'll take those feelings into my grave_.

But it sounded like a lie.


	41. Day One Hundred Fourty Five

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**LeoInuyuka**_ - I'D LOVE TO SEE HIM SING, TOO! Haha. It'd be so awesome! And I loved the moment as well where Mia's dad was all like "NO WAY! NOT MY BABY GIRL!" Glad you liked it!, _**ksbKipper1998**_ - I'm happy you enjoyed it!, _**Lavynya**_ - We'll see if she even succeeds at that, haha., _**Savage Kill**_ - Bake me some, too. Sssh, your family doesn't need to know about it...just press it through the screen., _**LuzElvaParra17**_ - I'm glad you love these two! I hope you'll continue to enjoy it!, _**princess thieves of heart**_ - I'm happy you like her parents!, _**Kyoichi Amaya**_ - It's sweet to hear that Mia's is a relatable character. I'm glad you enjoy it. And _**chibi-no-baka**_ - I'm happy you like it!

I'm so damn late, sorry about that. But I'm really busy and tomorrow will be the party..._however_. I am afraid I **won't** be able to update tomorrow. There is much to prepare because a lot of friends will come. [Around 30 people] And I'll be busy the whole day.

It throws my schedule back yet again, sorry Karen. And you too wonderful readers. I hope you'll forgive me because I, at least, tried to write a long chapter for you guys here. With fluff. And Winter Cup hints. And Kuroko. And Aomine. And Mia. And stuff. Stuff and Things.

Thank you for all the lovely follows, favorites and reviews!

I repeat. _Tomorrow there won't be an update!_

* * *

><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED FOURTY FIVE<strong>_

"Oh, it's so great to have you here, Mi-chan!"

Satsuki grasped her hand and smiled brightly as she swung them back and forth on their way towards the gym of another high school. The orange-head watched her friend amused as she went on and on about the team they would be playing against, telling her details about names she didn't know. But she listened nevertheless because the pink haired girl was very proud of her work.

"It's only a practice match, but we've to warm up as well. The first Winter Cup match is coming up." Satsuki continued as they stepped into the gym. "I already asked the coach, too. You can sit on the bench with me and watch."

"Thanks..." Mia replied sheepishly. "And it's really okay for me to tag along?"

"Of course." This time it was Imayoshi who answered; his slender form appeared beside the girls as he smiled at them impishly. "We're always glad to have you around, Nidori-san."

He pushed his glasses against his face with two fingers, his attention landing onto the team they'd be fighting against. Josei High, if Mia recalled the name correctly. Their team's uniform differed a lot from theirs. The colors were bright, sandy yellow which clashed against the black and red she knew so well. But as they noticed the visitors they quickly moved towards their own coach as well.

Satsuki gave the girl's hand a squeeze before she went to talk with the coach of the other team. A little clueless the orange-head chose to follow Tōō Academy's basketball team. Trailing after the tall boys like a lost puppy until they stopped in front of a bench. It was an object which had been obviously prepared for them.

Mia sat down on it while the basketball player placed their bags onto the ground at her feet. All the attention lay on the bubbly girl in the distance who gestured and nodded to whatever the older man said. It didn't take long before she turned around to them, a thumbs up showing the success of whatever discussion she had.

"Right." The captain breathed. "We'll go change then, just wait here, Nidori-san."

"Okay."

Her gaze traveled after the group of teenagers who disappeared through a door not far away, Sakurai was the last one she saw before a heavy weight fell down next to her. It made her jump in surprise, her startled body quickly twisting to her side where Aomine had sat down without saying a word.

"Wha...don't you have to change as well?"

"I won't play." The blue haired teen replied gruffly.

Mia furrowed her brow, remembering faintly that he had mentioned something like that a week ago as well. Although she couldn't believe that he really didn't intend to play at all.

"But why not?"

"They're not worth it." His heavy gaze stared off into the distance, glaring absent-minded into the direction of the other team while the girl beside him still watched him quietly.

"How do you know? They could be strong, right?"

"It'd be boring if I played."

Sighing heavily even she realized that this was a lost cause. If there something the orange haired girl couldn't come to terms with, it was that. His expression which hardened into a cold glare when he talked about other players like that, about the sport he knew so much about...it was not comparable to the way he grinned and laughed when the two of them were playing it. Even if she was anything but a challenge to him, he still seemed to enjoy to play basketball.

Except...when it was a real game of some sort.

Mia glanced at her lap where she cradled her bag close to her chest. She had told him that somewhere out there would a real challenge awaiting him...if only she could make sure of that. Her thoughts kept her busy for a while until Satsuki joined them, oblivious to what they had talked about before.

"Mi-chan, do you have still time after this match?"

"I, I guess. Yeah, I do - why?"

The basketball club manager started to smile cheekily as she tapped her fingers against the clapboard in her hands.

"I saw something on our way here...a little treat for the team."

* * *

><p>Basketball was scary.<p>

And amazing.

Mia had never thought that the basketball team of their school was so strong. Well, _yeah_, they did make it to the second place in the InterHigh tournament. But today had been the first time she had seen them playing for real. And it had been merely a practice match.

The ball flew fast from one side to another, the teenagers running after it before they quickly rushed past the defense of their opponents. Everything was fast. Calculated. Even Sakurai. The shy classmate who could barely speak a whole sentence without apologizing about something was...was amazing. Mia didn't trust her own eyes as she saw him throw the ball - _he stood so far away!_ - but he hit the hoop easily. Making three points with a single flick of his wrists.

But was it really a good game?

Aomine stood true to his words and didn't join. But even without the lazy teen their school's team was unbelievable good.

"170...to 39..." The orange-head mumbled quietly to herself.

Even if she didn't know that much about the sport like the other teenagers she hung out with right now did, she knew that this wasn't normal. The gap between the scores of the teams was huge. The girl had seen it in the faces of their opponent how they couldn't believe the result either.

Mia found herself sighing, swinging the plastic bag in her hand back and forth with the drinks she had bought for the boys. The Onsen really was a good idea but the orange-head wasn't really fond of the nearly boiling water and the knowledge of sharing an open bath with a handful of strangers. Even if Satsuki was with her there...some Japanese stuff wasn't really her thing.

The girl stepped into the public establishment, greeting the old lady behind the counter who had told her ten minutes ago where she could find the convenience store. Now she only had to find a good spot where she could relax until the basketball players were finished with the bath.

"Sorry, do you know where I can get a Pocari?"

Mia blinked surprised at the stranger who had approached her in the hallway, his height forcing her to crane her neck. A movement she had come used to over the weeks. But she hadn't expected to recognize the sharp features and dark red hair of the guy who must be around her age. Her eyes widened softly as she pointed a finger at him.

"_Oh_, I know you."

"Heh?"

"Uh, sorry." The orange-head laughed slightly flustered. "I mean, I _saw_ you. You were participating in the street basketball competition at Green Heaven Park, right?"

His confusion melted away as he remembered the event as well, a grin brightening his face.

"Yeah, I did."

The world must be so small, her mind hushed. Nanami had said that he was a student of Seirin High, the very high school Satsuki had been at in summer after her fight with Aomine. It was hard to believe that Mia now stood right in front of one of its students. A possible basketball player as well, he had been taking part in the small tournament in summer after all.

"_Ah_, Pocari, right?" Mia rummaged through her plastic bag, pulling the popular sports drink out of it. "They were on sale, you can have one."

"For real?" He asked baffled, accepting the gift slightly hesitant. "Thanks. My friend nearly fainted in there."

The girl grinned up at him. "No problem, your jumps were amazing, you know?"

His grin grew in size, his ego obviously growing thanks to the unexpected compliment. But it didn't strike her as arrogant though. More giddy like he was nothing but a too big child, proud that someone noticed his skills. Slowly he pointed towards the direction he came from, his other hand stuffed into the pocket of his pants.

"Got to go back to him now though. Don't want him to kick the bucket while I'm gone."

Mia's gaze followed his gesture, her inner voice reminding her that it was the corridor which leaded towards the lockers and waiting area she had wanted to look up anyway. Holding onto the plastic bag with both hands she glanced at the tall student in front of her, smiling lightly up at him as she shrugged with her shoulders.

"I need to go into that direction, too."

The tall guy nodded walking down the hallway with a slow pace which was polite enough for her to follow. He glimpsed at her over his broad shoulder, the red colored orbs observing her for a second as if he tried to recall her from anywhere. Maybe he tried to remember if he saw her in the audience from the street basketball competition.

"I'm Kagami Taiga, by the way."

Mia bowed ever so softly; just as uncertain as he was how to act in a situation like this as a pair of strangers.

"Nidori Mia."

The student, who had introduced himself, stared at her in bewilderment before he looked forward again. A little unsettling reaction...but the orange-head had already accepted that it was the end of an unusual encounter with a friendly stranger. That is before Kagami suddenly quickened his pace as he saw something in the distance. The girl believed it was merely his friend he had talked about earlier but as she saw the familiar blue haired teen, her eyes widened.

Was he approaching Aomine?

Her feet felt suddenly a bit heavy as she dragged herself further forward. It looked like they knew each other, but the air felt thick and tense as she closed in on the teenagers who were talking to another about something she couldn't exactly hear.

Aomine scoffed at the red haired guy, his lips moving as he glared at him. But as his deep navy orbs looked past his broad stature they softened. Her tall classmate had seen her in the middle of the hallway, her steps had become slower and slower until it felt like she barely moved forward at all.

"Nidori."

Kagami turned around and eyed her once more with a look of disbelief. What had happened? As she hadn't told the red haired guy her name he was all friendly and stuff, now he stared at her as if she was some sort of exotic creature...

"Uh, I was buying drinks for the team...?" Mia mumbled as she finally reached her classmate. And only as she stood beside him she saw another person she hadn't noticed before.

Who were these people if Aomine knew them...? Some old friends from his middle school as well?

"Tch, did Imayoshi force you to?"

"What? _No_. Stupid, I just wanted to do something nice." The girl argued weakly. "...do you know each other?"

The blue haired teen glanced back towards the other two boys, the tension immediately returning.

"Their first Winter Cup opponent is us."

Mia blinked at the other two a bit puzzled, the guy who had introduced himself as Kagami and his friend who was actually only a bit taller than she was. An unusual sight after she had grown used to always craning her neck to look at the other person. If Nanami had been right about her guess, then they'd play against Seirin High. The school Satsuki's and Aomine's friend attended.

The quiet boy in front of her started smiling softly.

"Sorry, Kagami-kun...to be honest I just thought _'Yes!'_ when I heard that."

The red haired teen started grinning as he glanced at his friend, his one hand reached out to hit his shoulder. "What're you saying, dumbass? Of course everyone thought the same thing." Kagami narrowed his gaze at Aomine, the grin slowly forming a victorious smirk. "There's nothing bad about repaying our debt quickly."

Mia found herself standing in between two chocking energies, the heavy glares above her head nearly exploding thanks to their intensity until the basketball player beside her laughed weakly.

"Alright, bring it on."

With that Aomine turned away, slandering down the hallway she had come from to probably go outside. The orange-head was glued to the spot because it felt like she had invaded something she shouldn't have. Some part of Aomine's life she still hadn't heard about or understood. And as if the pale boy could hear her mind running in circles, he chose to speak up.

"You're Nidori-san, right?"

Startled she blinked towards the teen whose pale colored hair fitted his more or less calm expression.

"Uh, yeah? My, my name is Nidori Mia."

The stranger suddenly bowed down. "Thank you for looking after, Aomine-kun."

"H-huh?"

"I appreciate it."

"Why? What? Who..." It finally dawned upon her and Mia pointed at him with her free hand. "_You're_ 'Tetsu-kun'?"

"Kuroko Tetsuya, to be exact."

No way. That was the guy Satsuki couldn't shut up about? The orange haired girl couldn't help but feel confused. The way the beautiful basketball club manager had talked about him nonstop made her imagine some inhuman, amazing, strong guy. Like Kise or something. But Kuroko looked so strangely normal...how did he know about her anywa- _right_. Satsuki. Mia groaned quietly in her head. That bubbly girl should never be trusted with a secret; she would definitely spill the beans one way or another.

"I'm afraid I don't know much..." She confessed.

It was as if she had left the cinema for an hour and missed a big part of the plot. But her thoughts were stopped as her mobile phone went off, signaling the arrival of a new message. No doubt of the very teen who had left a few seconds ago. Mia's eyes scanned the display of the small device, shutting it as she stared at the Seirin students in front of her.

"...maybe we'll see us again? I got to go now..." Carefully the orange-head bowed her head. "Good luck at the Winter Cup." As Mia realized, however, how wrong it could sound she hastily looked up. Adding a, "I mean it."

Kuroko nodded, the ghost of a smile crawling onto his face. The girl had probably never left a place faster when she had there, her walk resembling an awkward half-run without really running. But it all was just so weird and hard to grasp, that was the very boy Satsuki went on and on about. The same boy Aomine had mentioned as if he had been a good friend. But the atmosphere from before had been so painful and tension-filled.

_'The only one who can beat me, is me.'_

Mia had always known that the blue haired teen meant that. The way he didn't even play against others he deemed too weak. How disinterested he became whenever a tournament or match was involved. The orange-head finally reached the entry area, greeting once more the old lady who probably already wondered why she was always running back and forth. Nevertheless she decided to step outside, her dark eyes searching for the certain basketball player who sat down on a bench not far away.

With a huff she approached him. Aomine had stretched out his long legs, his arms resting on the back of the bench while he stared into the starry night sky.

"Kuroko-san is your friend, isn't he?"

Aomine didn't react. His blank stare was still searching for something in the wide sky while Mia started to fidget on the spot in front of him. Helplessly she played with the plastic bag, the rustling sound the only thing she heard next to her own breathing. He didn't want to talk? Fine, she didn't need to know everything, she mused.

Bravely she sat down next to him, setting the bag aside as she tried to look up as well. The back of her head bumped into his arm he still had draped over the back of the bench, but instead of retreating she took a deep breath. Slowly she leaned back, abusing his limb as a pillow - which was actually pretty comfy; to be honest - while Aomine didn't flinch in the slightest.

"You ever tried counting stars?" Mia wondered out loud.

The teenager next to her finally reacted, his arm shifting slightly until her body slid to the side, bumping into him. The orange haired girl was forced to move a bit, getting a bit more comfortable as her form tried to fit against his. Her head leaning against the crook of his neck and shoulder where she could get a better look at the night sky above them. Was she dying inside? Yes. Was she going to move away?

No.

Her face flushed as she could feel the heat his body gave off. A comfortable sensation against the cold autumn air, even more because her whole back was pressed against his side in this position...she didn't even have to see his face. That saved her a lot of embarrassment.

"Who in the hell counts stars?"

She could feel his throat vibrate with his voice, the back of her head and upper neck felt the movement of his vocal chords with every word he spoke. It made it only more and more clear how close they were right now...and how far away the world around them seemed to be as their eyes were watching the thousands lights above their heads.

Mia's fingers played with another in her lap. Helpless, because they itched to reach out for his hand once more. But the girl didn't find the courage do that which forced her to settle down with what she had. Her classmate had easily avoided the topic of the boy inside. And the girl didn't want to but in just like that in things she wasn't part of...but she'd lie if she wasn't curious.

"It probably sounds really cheesy, but I do listen if you want to talk."

She could hear him sigh. His body relaxing further into the bench as his arm fell from the back of the bench into her lap, pulling her body closer to his own one. As if her hands had only waited for the opportunity they reached for his hand. Cherishing the warmth they offered as their fingers easily intertwined with another. Without hesitation. Without a word. As if it was natural.

Aomine laughed beneath his breath. "Your fingers are freezing."

"It's cold." Mia muttered nearly sulking.

The tall teenager run with his thumb over her cold knuckles, the movement small and light but strong enough to make the heart of the girl shudder. She was actually afraid of saying something, anything which could destroy the surreal moment. Her heart was thumping loudly in her chest, her eyes still staring up into the clear sky in hope the greatness of the endless view would help her in any way.

"We kinda...were best friends in middle school." Aomine explained gruffly. "We never really got along...except in basketball. We always, always got along best when we played together."

Mia hummed quietly in return.

"But...stuff happened. Much. I never lost; those _fucking_ morons didn't even try to fight against me anymore." His voice sunk an octave; she could literally feel his muscles tense as he remembered easily what had happened. "And now he suddenly appears, _after_ he had already lost. Telling me he'll win with that ape and their stupid team."

"And now you're the first opponents in the Winter Cup?" She asked carefully.

"Yeah...I'm going to crush him there. He's seriously starting to piss me off."

Mia frowned at that. But in the end she sighed. "At least that means you're going to face him right from the start. That's good."

Aomine snorted, his blue eyes still clinging to the starry sky above them. "What's so good about that."

"It's called respect, _Aho_mine. Your ego is too big for your own head. I bet..." She lifted her free hand, pointing towards a bright star in the distance. "...I bet it could reach that star there."

The blue haired teen actually started to grin at that, his tense muscles finally relaxing once more as he settled back to get more comfortable. It was unbelievable easy for him to calm down again, his annoyance vanishing with the cool breeze which tugged and pulled at their hair and clothes.

"Oh, really?"

"Totally."

Aomine let his head roll to the side. The side of his face resting against her soft hair as he let his thumb brush against her knuckles once more.

"...Mia."

The orange-head became quiet for a second. The little beating mess in her ribcage squeezed itself at the sound of his deep voice so close to her ear. Her guts were boiling; twisting strangely as she slowly laid her arm back onto her lap which had reached for the sky before. She had wanted to take these stupid feelings into her grave, and right now it looked like she'd get a heart attack thanks to him. Her heart was close to bursting out of her chest and he wasn't even really trying.

"...yeah?"

"I'm going to win against them."

Mia's eyes dropped. Was it horrible of her to wish for the opposite? Kuroko was his friend...and if anyone could knock him off the high cloud he had crawled upon...then maybe even Aomine would find once more joy in the sport he definitely loved so much.

"We'll see." She mumbled.

"What was that?"

The girl smiled despite herself.

"Nothing."


	42. Day One Hundred Fifty

Another day, another chapter. I'M LATE YET AGAIN, I KNOW.

...SORRY.

_**EDIT -**_ god, I'm awful right now. Forgetting one thing after another - I was asked how Mia exactly looked like! I don't like extreme descriptions in stories because they sound so dry and stuff...so I drew her the way Karen told me she looked like. Don't you dare to laugh! Seriously. People, my feelings are at stake here. _IT'S ON MY PROFILE_ _**- EDIT**_

**_EDIT - took the reviews out to offer a better and more organized view after the story was completed - EDIT_**

Oh my gosh, all this chunk of text! I hope you don't mind? _If it's too much I could put the author notes beneath the chapters from now on_. Some of the readers or guests can't receive PMs so I just always reply here. But I write so much. Too much. Haha.

Sadly I've failed you Karen. Today is your birthday and the present is not finished yet! I'm such a despicable human being. Forgive me D: but, I _do_ know that you enjoy it nevertheless, haha. Thank god.

The feedback was **amazing** last chapter and I was so surprised as I checked my emails today! I want to thank you all for the lovely follows, favorites and reviews! God, I wish I could hug you guys, really. Feel hugged. Like, right now.

* * *

><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY<strong>_

"I'm tired."

"Well...you could sleep."

"I'm bored, too."

"Then do your homework?"

"...nah."

Mia sighed heavily as she leaned onto the table. Her gaze fell to his head which he had buried in his folded arms, not meeting her heated gaze which was a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. In contrast to him, she did do her homework. Which he always merely copied - and today she had chosen to sit in the academy's library to look up the certain history of an old well-known war solider Japan's.

A man who had a huge impact on the following turns of events years ago.

The basketball player, however, was merely skipping the practice like usual. The rain outside kept him from sleeping on the roof and he felt enough obligation in some kind of way to follow her all the way into the library. A place he had never seen before, she noted, by the way he looked around the shelves, desks and mountains of books in bewilderment.

That aspect definitely explained her annoyance. All he did was sitting on the other side of the table, reminding her from time to time that he had nothing to do. Was hungry or apparently wanted attention of some sort just because. Her embarrassment was easily caused by his familiar boldness; his feet had long ago tangled up with hers. His long legs kept hers in place which made her nervous with every movement because she could feel the warmth he spread even though he sat on the other side of the wooden furniture.

"Mia."

The orange-head closed her eyes for a second, the pulsating blood rushed through her ears. A noise she could hear loud and clear next to his gruff voice.

"Yeah?"

"I want banana milk."

This time she actually started laughing quietly, her annoyance fading as she started smiling at the teenager in front of her. Aomine finally lifted his head, his stern expression scanning her face as he started scowling at her.

"Stop laughing."

"Sorry." Mia breathed easily. "But I didn't take you for someone who likes banana milk."

"Well, I do." He challenged her.

The girl shook her head, her hands grasping the book in front of her once more as she continued to flip through it in search for the information she needed. The blue haired teen settled back down on his folded arms, his chin pressing into his arm as he chose to watch his classmate instead of just lazing around. The dark blue orbs flickered from the title of the book and her fingers towards her face.

Wordlessly his gaze trailed from the top of her head down towards her small nose until her lips gained his attention. Mia had pressed her lips against another in thought as she concentrated onto a certain passage in the book, the tension leaving her as she read something she had obviously needed to continue with her scribbling.

"Mia."

Satisfied he watched her gaze leave slowly the history book as she looked at him instead. Her eyebrows lifting ever so slightly to indicate her silent question of _'what now?_' but all he did was shrug with his shoulders.

"Let's buy something on the way home."

The orange-head furrowed her brow, her toes curling inside her indoor shoes as she tapped her fingers against the book. Every time she heard him call her, she was certain she was just imaging it. But she wasn't.

"Well, if _I_ could finish the homework, we could do that."

Aomine snorted, his head falling to the side to get more comfortable. The rain was still loud, drumming against the windows they sat at. Autumn had finally caught them completely, the grey weather glimpsing through the calm sunny evenings like today. But the orange haired girl actually liked that. The sound was soothing; the sight of a thousand droplets which fell against the glass was mesmerizing.

And it always made it a lot more comfy inside. She started to write something into her notebook, her mind pushed her classmate for a second out of her sight so that she could concentrate on finally finishing her dreaded homework. It was hard not to react startled every time he called her by her first name. Nanami did that as well but it had never sounded so foreign to her.

Mia could feel her heart squeeze. It was definitely different. In Germany all her friends had called her by her first name; her kindergarten teacher had done that, too. It was normal there. But the moment she had arrived in Japan it all changed. It had been years since someone else than her family had called her by her first name. And his voice and husky drawl only made it harder not to blush.

It made them sound close.

And he made it look so easy again like everything else.

Sighing, she finally closed the thick history book, withdrawing her feet from his. At the loss of the body contact, he finally blinked up at her. The girl gathered her notebook and pencil case, shoving them into her schoolbag before she stood up to bring back the book she had borrowed from one of the rows of shelves.

"Finished. I'll return this, we can leave after that."

Aomine nodded before he yawned. The loss of his nap taking its toll. The orange-head left the table they sat at, cradling the book in her arms as she quietly left the area where she and a handful of other students had worked in silence on their assignments and homework. The basketball player always made it look so natural; her thoughts continued stubbornly as she walked down a path between two shelves.

It wasn't fair. Being the only one who fell, crashed and wondered. Not to forget her nerve-wrecking blush which crawl onto her face whenever it wanted...in the beginning he had teased her. Said that she liked him and where was she now? Mia frowned as she stared at the empty spot in the bookshelf. The space which had awaited the return of the history book for quite some time...

She was right there. She had really somehow found a way to do just what he had mocked her with. If that wasn't embarrassing then she didn't know what could be...

"Oi."

Mia gasped as she quickly turned around, her hands clutched to the book in her hands in panic as her heart jumped into her throat. It felt like her skin was buzzing out of surprise, her dark orbs landing on the light frown of the blue haired teen who had apparently followed her after she had left him behind.

"Aomine..."

She breathed in relief, she already went through enough heart attacks on daily basis thanks to him...he didn't need to scare her to death now either.

"What takes ya so long?"

"Thinking." Mia muttered beneath her breath, pushing the book back into the spot between the others. Although she'd never dare to voice her true thoughts...she'd say something else which had plagued her mind since quite some time. "As Satsuki-san went on and on about this Tetsu-kun she knew...I had actually expected someone flashy. Like your friend Kise."

The teen scrunched up his noise as he shrugged with his broad shoulders. "She's been following him around like that since middle school."

"Are they, you know, _together_?"

Aomine once more shrugged with his shoulders, definitely uninterested in the topic. Maybe because he had already given up understanding it a long time ago, she'd probably done the same thing.

"Not that I know of. I'm hungry, let's go."

Mia nodded swiftly, following her classmate to gather their things before they left the library behind. His teammates were still practicing in the gym, all hard-working and eager to get stronger to win the Winter Cup while their ace was busy with sleeping and bugging the orange haired girl to finally go and buy some Teriyaki burgers. The girl still had to think about that as they changed their indoor shoes for their other ones, no matter how much she did get along with the tall teen she would never get used to that.

Kuroko looked like a hard working and earnest person, Mia mused. He had actually thanked her for looking after her blue haired classmate - whether she really did that or not was another question - but he definitely cared for Aomine...and she was sure that Aomine did so as well.

"Ah, at the Onsen." The orange-head suddenly spoke up as they reached the exit of their school. "You said you were good friends with Kuroko-san - do you know Kagami-san, too?"

She could see how his expressionless face suddenly twisted into a frown. "That guy is annoying. He throws around big words but in the end he's nothing."

Mia couldn't help but grimace, rummaging through her bag absent-minded for the umbrella she had brought to school that day as she still stared at her classmate. "That's harsh...he was nice." Her eyes lit up as another memory filled her senses. "And I saw him play before. He can jump extremely high, isn't that good?"

Aomine's face fell, his eyes narrowing. "You've watched him play?"

A bit uncertain she chose to nod carefully. "Yeah? In summer break was a street basketball competition. I went to watch it with Nanami and he played there with his friends, I think..."

Now where she actually thought about it...did Mia already see Kuroko there as well? The memory had become a blur over the days, the only things which had really stayed with her was the gigantic guy she had offered her chocolate and the red haired basketball player because he jumped so high. But somewhere out of the corner of her eye...it had been possible that she had seen a pale boy, running alongside the other guys.

Aomine, on the other hand, didn't appear to be amused about all of this. His frown deepening as he clicked with his tongue. "I've played against him before, he sucks."

"Well, Kagami-san surely practices unlike you. He's probably gotten better." It felt silly to stand up for the stranger but Mia could hardly continue to hear him badmouth others like this. Yes, he was good. Yes, she had seen him play a bit already. But that didn't give him the right to judge others like that.

Stubbornly she opened her yellow umbrella, lifting it above her head before she dared to glimpse at the teen at her side. What she didn't expect to see was a glare aimed at her, a sharp and painful. It was aimed at her and no one else. If anything, she had never achieved up until now that Aomine gave her such a look and it honestly sent shivers down her spine.

Her face turned pale at first. A little wave of the old fear he had brought with him in the past filling her bones until her heart reminded her that it was ridiculous to even assume something like that. It was Aomine she talked about. Her table neighbor. The lazy classmate who always copied her homework and had somehow wormed his way into her heart by doing nothing but being his rough, annoying self.

"I just...I just don't like it if you say such stuff." Mia argued carefully, breaking their eye contact. "He's Kuroko-san's friend, right? And you all three like basketball...I mean, I mean look at me. I suck pretty much at basketball...but you still play with me anyway."

Aomine snorted. "It's way too funny to see you struggle."

Offended Mia looked up, the blood rushing back into her face as she struggled to come up with some kind of insults. Just because she didn't want him to badmouth others didn't mean she couldn't do so! But as they finally looked at each other again, she halted. The scary look had vanished, the anger slipping away as he started to grin at her instead.

She didn't know how to handle his sudden change of mood. But to know that she got so agitated over something he joked about made her feel embarrassed and the girl bit her tongue to keep her glowing cheeks at bay. A try in vain. But she could dream.

"_Aho_mine."

"Ya will never drop that, eh?"

Mia pursed her lips, sulking quietly to herself. Stupid, stupid Aomine.

"No."

The basketball player sighed, his tense shoulders relaxing once more as he reached over to grab her umbrella. Surprised she glanced at him once more, her hands reached half-hearted for her only shield against the rain which still fell from the sky without mercy.

"I forgot mine." Aomine deadpanned.

"How can you...you'd forget your head if it wouldn't be glued to your body."

Aomine ignored her weak insult easily, grabbing her hand with his free one in one movement. Mia let him pull her towards the exit, her feet catching up to his pace, he had started to forcefully slow down. Did they have a start of a fight? Or was it already over? Mia had to wonder if maybe that was what Satsuki had to go through every single day. He was really thick-headed the second someone opposed his opinion. It was merely poor luck that the orange-head disliked to step down either.

"I'm hungry." The blue haired teen groaned.

The rain drummed onto the umbrella's surface, the sound loud just like her heartbeat which never backed down when he was around. She took a deep breath, cherishing the fresh air outside which filled her lungs as she carefully intertwined their fingers. It was nice how the boy next to her easily understood what she wanted, his bigger hand shifting ever so slightly until their fingers and palms fitted against another neatly.

The warmth he gave off was amazing, like a heater on the cooled of days of the season.

"You already mentioned that." Mia mused aloud.

"'Cause I'm still hungry, obviously."

The orange-head laughed, relieved that the tension from before seemed to have disappeared.

"You really like Teriyaki Burger, huh? On the Culture Festival as well."

"They're the best. That's why."

His voice was gruff, the reply curt. But it was him, her inner voice hushed, the same old drawl in his voice and lazy glare in his eyes. He had always a sharp face, the natural frown something she had judged wrongly in the past, but his bad mood from before really had ceased to exist. Luckily. Mia started to smile to herself, taking a step closer towards Aomine. Her arm pressing against his, seeking warmth and protection from the rain - her umbrella was made for only one person after all.

Although maybe, only maybe she only did that to be a bit closer to him...

...because the rain was the best excuse she could ask for right now.

* * *

><p><em><strong>HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAREN<br>**_

_**LOVE YOU**_

_**KINDA**_

_**A BIT**_

_**JUST A BIT**_

_**NO SERIOUSLY**_

_**YOU ARE OK**_


	43. Day One Hundred Fifty Six

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

**_EDIT - took the reviews out to offer a better and more organized view after the story was completed - EDIT_**

My god, I need to write less but I love to reply guys! I want to thank you all for the lovely follows, favorites and reviews! It's always so amazing to read what you thought and liked, I'm so happy to hear that I could make you smile a bit!

The Winter Cup match is very close, I believe I'll write it the day after tomorrow! And once more I want to point out that I did kinda try to draw Mia...if anyone ever wondered how Karen and I imagined her. The picture is on my profile, a link. And stuff. I hope you'll continue to enjoy it!

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><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY SIX<strong>_

"We totally need to meet up."

Mia nodded as she looked up, her gaze landing on the traffic light which still allowed the cars to rush past them. She felt already happy enough that Nanami had thought about her and her birthday, the new novel she had wanted to buy badly had been a present; she had received by her in break today. Even though her friend always appeared to be calm and collected, she was surprisingly impatient if it concerned the girl.

The orange-head had nearly felt awkward as she had opened the beautiful package while being watched like a hawk. But to see the rare smile of Nanami as Mia lifted the gift into the air as if it was a treasure made her forget all about it in an instant. It was amazing how well they knew each other already.

"Let's make a movie night at my place." The orange haired girl offered as she looked at her friend again. The light changed, the green color signaling them that they could cross the street now safely. However, that meant as well that the girls needed to split up. The raven haired one needed to take the left path while Mia continued her walk towards the train station.

Nanami nodded, pushing her bicycle forward as she furrowed her brow lightly. "Are you free on Saturday, then? We could sleep through Sunday."

The girl was about to say _'Of course'_. But as she opened her mouth she stopped herself from agreeing right away. She couldn't, actually. It was rare for her to not have time for her best friend but there was something important going on that day. Satsuki had already asked her if she had time. And whether the blue haired teen remembered or not...he had asked her as well to come to one of his matches.

"I can't." Mia confessed quietly. "On Sunday is the first match of the Winter Cup. I promised to go and watch it."

Nanami blinked at her quietly, the corners of her lips twitching ever so softly. "Heh~? You promised, eh?"

The orange-head scowled at her friend, her face reddening as she caught the obvious unspoken words of the other girl. It was sometimes hard to be friends with Nanami, she mused, her friend always wandered between serious advice and mere teasing. Mia didn't need to be a genius to see the amused twinkle in her eyes and stubbornly she crossed her arms in front of her chest, coming to a halt on the other side of the street.

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything." The raven haired girl replied nonchalant.

"I can read your mind, remember? Stop it."

Nanami laughed breathlessly, leaning onto her bicycle as she shrugged with her shoulders. "I probably sound really cheesy but I do want you to be happy, you know."

Mia's frown softened as she heard that, amazed how easily her friend was able to cross the line between teasing and earnest compliments. She was sly. Clever. And somehow just right. Their friendship was a strange occurrence between all the other ones. Colorful and probably not perfect. But the orange haired girl started to smile anyway, her heart warming as her friend glanced at her through her thick eyelashes.

"But remember you can call my anytime, I'm confident that if his drug dealer can't kill him, I can."

"Satsuki-san is not a drug dealer, Nanami..."

The black haired girl lifted her forefinger into the air. "We haven't proved that one yet."

Mia started laughing; shaking her head at the stubborn idea Nanami still clung to. How in the world did it start anyway? She could barely remember. Instead of deepening the serious discussion about Aomine's background and possible shady friends she spoke about something else.

"How about Friday? We can buy snacks after school and be lazy through-out Saturday."

Nanami nodded satisfied with that idea. She finally climbed onto her bicycle, pushing her long hair over her left shoulder. "I'll buy you a birthday cake." For a second she glanced at her hands which rested on the handles. "A _belated_ one." She added while Mia grinned.

"Looking forward to it."

"See you tomorrow, then."

The orange-head watched her classmate as she kicked the ground softly. With a low wave she started to ride away, down the pavement to her left where she lived somewhere. Locals surely were lucky, shops and school so close that they didn't need to depend on the public transportation. Mia still waved after her with a smile, waiting until the familiar black-head vanished in between the sea of people and colors. And only then did she turn away.

Her father had awoken her this morning with a loud call. The man bursted into her room, clapping his hands as he sung her a silly song in German - something he did every year. Although she surely preferred to sleep instead of being shaken awake by him. Grinning at her with his bright twinkling eyes, he always resembled a child. His eyes light and pale green in contrast to her dark ones she had inherited from her mother made him look so young.

With hurried steps she rushed into the train who was about to leave the station. At home her mother awaited her with her favorite food, the woman had come home early today from work to prepare it while her father was probably trying to get off of work right now, too...

Mia's train of thought broke as her mobile phone started to vibrate and whine in her school bag. Hectically she rummaged through her books and pens for the certain device, pulling it out of the depth of her bag to accept the unexpected call.

"Yeah?"

_"Where are you?"_

It was Aomine's voice which buzzed through the line. Her forehead wrinkled in confusion as she turned around, half-hearted scanning the blur of houses and cars outside which rushed passed her thanks to the train's movement.

"In the train? I'm on my way home."

She could hear shifting, his deep sigh filling her hearing senses before he mumbled something quiet to himself.

_"Get out."_

"Wha-? Why, I'm already-"

_"Now."_

His command made her tense, the word left him ungraciously as his annoyance overcame any other emotion he might have felt. The compartment she stood in came to a trembling halt as they reached the first station after her high school, the door behind her swiftly opening. Mia's eyes widened as she quickly stepped out of train, her brain had taken a bit time to get over the harsh demand. But as the doors closed and the train moved on she took a calming breath.

"I'm out..."

_"Where?"_

"Uh...Fujimori Street."

The basketball player sighed once more heavily. _"Wait right there."_

"O...okay."

Mia stared at her mobile phone after he had ended their call. Her tall classmate had told her this morning 'happy birthday'...well, more like stated it, really. But that he still even remembered it was already nice enough, the girl thought to herself. She didn't expect anything, she hadn't given him anything on his own birthday either. If Satsuki hadn't asked her to distract him, then she wouldn't have known it at all.

But now she stood there, rolling back and forth on her soles because she suddenly couldn't stop thinking why he told her to wait. They would see each other on Sunday, she had already talked with Satsuki about it. And she'd see him really play for the first time as well. The girl looked forward to it.

Stuffing her phone into the pocket of her cardigan she rubbed her palms against another.

"It's surely getting cold." Mia whispered to herself, watching people walk past her to wait for the next train.

Of course it would be getting cold. November was slowly coming to an end, December right around the corner. It rarely snowed in Tokyo...but maybe it would this year? Winter was always great with hot chocolate, comfy blankets and the amazing Christmas decoration they always hung up in the shopping district around the certain time of the year. But Aomine probably wouldn't like it, cold meant that he couldn't get out to play basketball, right?

Although she could imagine that all he did was sleeping throughout the freezing season anyway. Mia laughed into her hands, her warm breath keeping her fingertips from trembling as she imagined the basketball player curling up like a cat in his bed. And snoring, the basketball player snored - quietly - but she could always hear him when he chose to take a nap in class.

"Ya always run off after school like that, it's a pain."

Mia jumped, slightly startled as she heard his hoarse voice suddenly in front of her. Her eyes looked up to meet his. The navy colored orbs staring right back at her as he frowned ever so slightly at her form. It took her a bit before she understood the words he had spoken, her head tilting to the side as she rubbed her hands against another once more.

"_Well_, I don't exactly run."

Aomine snorted at her silly argument, his narrow gaze falling to her hands.

"Cold?"

"A bit." She mused quietly, breaking their eye-contact for a second to watch the train rush past them he had used to get here.

The teen put the plastic bag, he had carried with him, down onto the ground between them, his tanned hands reaching for her small hands until he easily engulfed them completely. His stiff expression slipped off his face as he blinked at her at her surprised, his lips curling into a lopsided grin.

"Jeez, your fingers are always freezing."

Mia pursed her lips as she glared up at him half-hearted. "My hands are always cold if winter comes."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

The basketball player rubbed her hands with his, the friction causing more warmth to spread throughout her fingertips and arms. She didn't even need that, the heat the teenager in front of her created was already enough. She didn't know if hot-headed people always had higher body temperatures or not but in his case it was true. He was like a walking fireplace.

Mia watched their joined hands quietly, biting the inside of her cheek to keep her lips from twitching into a smile. It felt nice. Like a mix of hot chocolate, comfy blankets and snow. The orange-head had never someone like that who warmed her hands like this. She could already feel the blush crawl onto her face, the close proximity between them suddenly clear and she averted her eyes in hope he wouldn't notice her inner struggle.

However, as her gaze fell, it landed onto the certain plastic bag between them.

"Did you buy something?" She wondered curiously and his hands actually stopped moving, caging her small ones inside of them.

The abrupt halt gave her enough strength to look up. But instead of looking at her he avoided her gaze. His eyes stared off into the distance, far away from her. Mia didn't know why but that action made her feel suddenly embarrassed. As if she had asked something she shouldn't have. Carefully she tried to tug her hands away from his; the urge to bury them deep in the pockets of her cardigan came to the surface in her mind.

But his grip tightened, her movement forcing his gaze to return to her.

"Yeah." He grumbled.

Aomine slowly let go of her hands, bending down to grab the plastic bag before he offered it to her.

"Just stuff."

The girl accepted the bag with care. Staring at it as if it couldn't be real. Did he actually buy her something? It only made her feel more horrible because she didn't do the same on his birthday...now where she thought about it...she was afraid that she had been happier on his very birthday than he had been, too. He had held her hand there for the first time...they had played at the Game Arcade...they bought ice cream and..._aah_, she could feel her face burning.

Stupid. It only made it worse.

To distract herself she looked into the bag, scanning the familiar colorful package inside of it which she could recognize. It was the same logo of the certain dessert shop they had been at in summer. Mia picked up the package, opening it ever so slowly until the content revealed two pieces of cakes. Chocolate and cherry. Just like on that day.

The girl couldn't help but start to smile, her face only turning redder and redder as she closed the lid and put the literally sweet present back into the bag.

"Thank you." Mia mumbled, glimpsing at the teen in hope her bangs could somehow hide the obvious blush. "I mean it."

But as she saw his calm expression, scanning her face as if he tried to make sure she meant it, she quickly lifted her hands to hide it. Lazy Aomine was easy to handle, even the teasing or annoyed one. However, the moment he actually _looked_ at her like that, it was impossible. The hard lines in his face had disappeared, no scowl or natural glare present. Just his sharp face, the deep blue eyes and his attention were left.

"Why are you hiding your face?" Aomine grunted, his thick voice filled with familiar annoyance.

"_Because_." Mia croaked into her hands.

"That ain't an answer."

But she had no other! Her mind yelled loudly while she only pressed her hands further against her face. He could probably see her red ears but she was afraid to lift her face. Satsuki had probably forced him to buy her something and the cakes were something simple and easy. Because both of them shared a memory with them...it was just ridiculous how happy it secretly made her.

Mia couldn't help it though and she was dying right here on the spot thanks to the twirls and twists her guts made. It wasn't fair of him to pull such a move, making it look like it was nothing special. He was always so sly. And the silly happiness filled her heart as she realized that he really made his way into the shopping district to buy it, calling her and hurrying here to give her it.

The lazy Aomine did such things for her birthday. The guy who skipped practice all the time and never did his homework because it was too much of a hassle.

The orange-head let her head fell forward, bumping into his chest to cut off his possible sight of her completely. Her face must look terrible. Burning against her cold hands while her lips formed a weird mix of a smile and frown...if only the earth would finally suck her up, she wasn't asking for much here.

She could feel his chest move as he took a deep breath, releasing a deep sigh afterwards. And ever so slowly his forehead bumped against the top of her head, the warmth of his whole body seeping through her skin.

"Happy birthday, Mia."

"Mhm..." The girl nodded helplessly against his chest, not trusting her voice in the slightest.

Her rather childish action caused Aomine to laugh, quietly and breathlessly. It made his body quiver, his chest trembling with the smooth sound as she could feel his breath on top of her head. He wasn't being fair at all, her inner voice hushed. She suddenly wanted more. More warmth. More everything.

But it was hard to sum all those thoughts up.

"...you're coming to my match, right?" Aomine muttered quietly, his head still resting on top of hers.

And finally Mia found enough courage to trust her voice once more.

"Definitely."

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><p><em>Just out of curiosity...<em>_**IF**__, I do decide to write another KnB story after this one...who would you want it to be about? I did read requests and wishes, like Kise or Akashi. But I'd like to collect some ideas - for example what for an OC you imagine fits them because even though I did influence Mia, the main ideas came from Karen, haha._

_What would you guys want?_


	44. Day One Hundred Sixty

Another day, another chapter.

_I MOVED THE ANSWERS FOR REVIEWS FOR THIS CHAPTER!_

They are at the bottom because there were so many wonderful reviews and I wanted to reply. But it was so much text...sorry about that, haha. The feedback was amazing and I was surprised how many of you were supporting the suggestion of another story after Egoistical, haha.

I have noted all your ideas and suggestions! I can't promise anything but I'll definitely consider to write another KnB story now.

Thank you all for the lovely follows, favorites and reviews!

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><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY<strong>_

"I don't get it."

"It's called practice."

"Yeah." He grunted. "I don't get why."

Mia pursed her lips as she continued to walk down the paved way, the conversation she had with Satsuki over the phone still fresh in her mind. But the bubbly girl had made it sound so easy to make the blue haired teen practice at least a little bit before the match. She was still a bit tired from the little sleep she got this night, Nanami and she had refused to stop until they had seen every single movie they had wanted to see.

Now she regretted it a little, covering her mouth as she yawned.

"The match tomorrow is important, isn't it?"

She turned around and glanced at the basketball player who stared at her with a frown. The way he dragged his feet made it obvious that he wasn't as thrilled about the idea of practice as she was, but she couldn't help but agree with Satsuki about this. It felt unfair. Kuroko and Kagami were taking it so seriously while Aomine was doing nothing but lazing around.

"Come on, just a little bit." Mia urged him.

The girl walked back the handful of steps which separated them. He narrowed his sharp eyes at her, his suspicions already clear and she was sure that he could imagine that his childhood friend had somehow wormed her idea into this whole meet up. Although the orange-head would lie if she said that she didn't share the concern of the pink haired girl at all.

"Fine." He sighed, spinning the ball on his index finger. "But you're paying for the drinks later."

"Deal." Mia grinned up at him.

It felt like a little triumph to her. Walking down the street towards a public basketball court which was close to Aomine's house, the park was further away and probably more popular than this one. At least that's what the basketball player had suggested as she had called him.

The girl looked up at the sky, scanning the grey sea of clouds above their heads. The sun didn't have any chance to peek through the dark blanket. The weather was turning colder and colder over the days while fall slowly but surely crawled away to make space for the winter. It was amazing how fast the year was coming to an end...next spring she'd become a second year.

Her dark eyes travelled towards the teenager at her side, his stoic expression busy with watching the orange orb on his finger. He always made it look so easy, spinning the ball around over and over again. The balance never once withering. Mia had thought about asking him how he did that. But she couldn't imagine him giving her a good explanation. It was always possible he didn't know himself how he did that, he just did it.

"We're here."

Slightly startled she looked up, observing the simple public court in front of them. "You've been here before, right?"

"Yeah." Aomine drawled, stopping the ball with his other hand. "In middle school. I often stopped here on my way home."

Mia stared at him quietly, noting how rare it was he mentioned his old school. She did learn here and there a few things about it. Not to forget his old teammates and friends which were definitely a colorful bunch of unique people. But in the end there was probably still so much she didn't know. Leaving her with a quite a few questions she'd love to ask.

"Heeh..." She breathed instead, dragging the word out with the air.

"Ya really think you can beat me?" His sudden grin surprised her, although quickly she caught herself.

"You're a lousy winner, you know?"

"Tch. Who cares?" The blue haired teen clicked with his tongue, his hand starting to dribble the ball.

Mia couldn't help but laugh. His mood had gotten better, just a bit, but his scowl from earlier had disappeared luckily. Easily she approached the hoop, urging her classmate to pass the ball to her. Because if she had learned anything over the time where they had played, it was catching the damn little thing. Her throwing skills still were barely passable.

It was obvious how she missed the hoop more often than she hit it. The game they played dominated by the lazy basketball player who found himself tackled by the girl every time when she got frustrated with his too fast movements. It was her only chance to actually get the basketball back into her possession.

As Aomine, however, threw the ball from nearly the other side of the court. The bright orb falling into the hoop, Mia threw her hands into the air.

"How is that even possible!"

He laughed, amused by her half-hearted glare. Although before he could have retorted, throwing some annoying comment at her head to rile her up a little bit more they were interrupted by the barking of a little animal.

Mia's and Aomine's eyes fell to their right, staring at the unexpected guest in confusion.

"A dog?" She called out puzzled.

Her tall classmate picked up the ball, furrowing his brow at the little animal while the orange-head crouched down next to the dog which curiously peeked up at her. _It was a husky_, she thought quietly, _definitely_. And by the way he wagged his tail, not flinching away as she carefully tried to pat its head it was obvious that it must belong to someone.

"Oh, he's got a collar."

Mia looked up as her classmate appeared beside her, his navy eyes staring at the little visitor.

"Guess that means he's somebody's pet..." His voice sunk an octave as he suddenly started to glare at the husky puppy. "_Oi_, quit staring at me like that."

The girl giggled into her hand, hiding her bright smile as his glare shifted, landing on her in the end. "Shut up, that dog pisses me off, kinda."

"It's just a _dog_, Aomine."

"Like I care." The basketball player turned away from her and the dog, his hand starting to dribble the ball once more because he was keen to ignore the little guy and continue their game. He maybe hadn't wanted to practice and it surely wasn't really practice what they had been doing, but it had been fun enough.

The moment the ball touched the ground however, the dog peeked up, barking once more.

"What?" Aomine lifted a single eyebrow at the dog who had gotten obviously interested in the basketball. "Don't tell me that dog likes the ball."

"I think he does..." Mia replied, rubbing the little guest behind his ears. "Isn't that cool?"

Her classmate shifted on his feet. His gaze scanning her bright face as he started dribbling the ball again, the movement easily catching the dog's attention once more as he actually started to pounce from left to right - like a hunter who was about to catch its prey. This time even the the blue haired teen had to crack a grin, the animal showed more enthusiasm than many of his opponents had in the past.

"Now where I think about it...his eyes do look familiar." Aomine drawled, quirking his brow.

"Really?" Confused she glanced at the little guy. "Mh...now where you mention it...they do."

Mia shrugged with her shoulders, standing up again to approach the basketball player. With a smile she grabbed the ball out of his hand, her eyes twinkling in delight with the silly idea she had come up with.

"Let's form teams. Me and the dog against you."

Aomine snorted. "Ya got to be kidding me."

"No way! Come on, dog." The orange-head glanced at the little animal which actually rushed to her side. "_See_, he wants to join."

"Psh, if you really think you can-"

Before Aomine could have spoken the last few words, Mia had already started to jog away. Dribbling the ball towards the hoop while the husky followed her steps eagerly, barking all the way. Her throw looked anything but pretty, the ball hitting the metal ring of the hoop and shaking the net beneath it. The basketball went in though, giving her the first point of their match.

"We're winning." She laughed, turning around to the blue haired teen.

He stared at her a bit surprised, the hard lines on his face disappearing before he grinned broadly.

"Bring it on."

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><p>"You could've given us a chance at least." Mia breathed as she bent down, holding onto her knees.<p>

"That wouldn't have been fun."

She glared at her tall classmate who still smirked at her. She maybe had made the first point but it was hard to keep up with him the second he really tried to do anything on the court. Although the dog did confuse him sometimes, running around his legs while he had the ball in his hands. And that sight alone was already worth it, her inner voice hushed.

"I could use a drink now...it's getting cold."

"Really?" Aomine wondered, furrowing his brow.

"Really, really...you're seriously never cold?"

Aomine shrugged with his shoulders, uncaringly, while Mia lifted her hands to his face to get her point across. Her action was bold, and on backsight a bit embarrassing. But she started to grin as the teen flinched the second her freezing fingertips came in contact with his cheeks.

"Shit, you weren't joking." He grumbled with a frown.

Aomine pressed his own hands against hers, covering her cold skin with his burning one. He engulfed her hands with his, pulling them away from his face to save it from the coldness she spread. But instead of just holding them he stuffed them into the pockets of his coat. Mia grimaced as she could feel the blush creeping into her face, she had only wanted to annoy him a bit. But this was a bit too much for her heart.

"Uh..."

Her voice got stuck in her throat, her gaze glued to the white sweater the giant wore. Her height merely offered her the sight of his chest and to be honest she didn't dare to look up to see his face, in the cold late autumn air her face must be glowing. The embarrassment was already enough as it was.

"I'm hungry, let's go eat something."

"What?"

Mia could feel his fingertips brushing over her knuckles, the inside of his pockets warm thanks to his body heat. And for a second no one spoke, even though she hadn't really agreed to his suggestion nor had he repeated it after her very clever and neat '_what_'. That is, until the dog beside them barked once more. Startled the orange-head glanced at the husky, her heart leaping out of her chest because right now they were not only standing close. But they were in public as well. She had forgotten that.

"What, what about the dog?" She asked weakly, her body taking a step back to create a bit more distance.

"Got a collar right? His owner is probably around here somewhere." Aomine replied lazily, finally allowing her to pull her hands out of his pockets. "Better?"

Mia nodded, glancing at their hands which still held onto another.

"How about Ramen? On our way here was a shop."

The girl would love to take the dog with them. But her classmate was right, the owner was probably somewhere here. The little guy looked groomed and well taken care of, it wasn't possible that he had been apart from his owner for a long time. What for a shame...she was sure she could have somehow forced her parents to keep him, her father loved animals.

"Sounds good." Aomine muttered beneath his breath.

The basketball player let go of one of her hands to pick up the ball beside them. His other shifting ever so slightly until their hands were joined comfortably. Mia smiled slightly to herself as she let him tug her forward, his orientation skills a lot better in his own neighborhood than hers. Carefully she glimpsed over her shoulder, a little longing filling her heart as the dog sat down in the middle of the court.

"I want a dog, too." She sighed heavily.

"They ain't bad, eh?" The blue haired teen agreed.

"Mhm." Mia hummed, slowly looking forward again. "You did practice in the end."

"Shut up."


	45. Day One Hundred Sixty One I

Another day, another chapter.

Warning ahead, that's like the fluffless chapter of fluffless chapters ever. Haha. I had to split it up because I'm a little busy and the match has like over four episodes dealing with it, I can't squish it all into one. That's why today is the beginning, a lot plot and atmosphere. Sorry about that, haha. I hope you'll enjoy it nevertheless!

Thank you for all the lovely follows, favorites and reviews!

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><p><em><strong>ONE HUNDRED SIXTY ONE I<strong>_

Mia nearly stopped walking as they approached the huge hall in front of them. They were only a handful visitors of many others, but the clear sight of the building was amazing. It stood proud in front of them, inviting basketball teams and people from all over the country to find shelter from the cold outside. Not to forget the event which was taking place inside.

"Amazing."

"It is, isn't it?" Satsuki smiled at her.

The girls walked side by side, following the coach of the team. Harasawa Katsunori. Mia hadn't even known that the chemistry teacher of the second years was coaching their team, because the older man hadn't been at the practice match against Josei nor had he been at the regular practice of the team in summer, she had visited with Nanami.

Now, however, he leaded them all. She had been a bit surprised that he had nothing against her tagging along like this; all she had received was a look and nod. Although it probably didn't matter to a teacher like him if another fellow student decided to join the audience and watch their team play against another. Mia hadn't seen any classmate yet but she was sure that she wasn't the only student of Tōō Academy who decided to come today.

"There will be an opening ceremony first." The bubbly girl continued to explain. "Afterwards a break." Satsuki tapped a finger against her bottom lip in thought, her rosy red eyes glancing at the sky above them. "I'll try to go and see you after the ceremony, Mi-chan. Let's meet up in entry area, alright?"

The orange-head nodded, still a bit baffled by all the people around them who all came for the Winter Cup. Before she had started talking with Aomine in spring, she hadn't known how popular this sport was. How many other people here shared the same passion for it and cheered for the high school students who all fought to win.

"Okay."

She confirmed once more, tugging at the scarf around her neck. The girl couldn't wait to finally be inside the building, save from the cold wind which had picked up on their way towards the gym. Today the basketball team of her academy would fight against Seirin High. Against Kuroko and Kagami. Satsuki hadn't showed it openly but her eyes had often ghosted over the strangers around them, probably in hope to find the pale boy she called her friend in between the unknown faces.

Mia did feel a bit bad about how much good luck she wished their opponents. But every time she remembered the unbelievable score they had achieved against Josei High. How Aomine had refused to play and spoke harshly about Kuroko...the boy he had called his best friend in middle school...

Mia grimaced softly as they stepped into the giant building, the pink haired student beside her still eager to explain her where she'd find the staircase to the seats.

* * *

><p><em>"Eeh? It was to your left, I'm sure."<em>

"Left." Mia repeated. "Right, sorry."

She listened to Satsuki bright laugh over the line. It was a bit embarrassing to have called her but the orange haired girl had lost sight of _everything_ in the hallway with all those strangers around her. She had walked into the complete wrong direction and now turned around, following the other way in hope to finally reach the entry area and the basketball team manager. They wanted to buy drinks before the real game started.

_"See you then."_

"Okay."

Mia hung up and pushed the mobile phone into the pocket of her jacket. She had felt so small in the audience; the court was not even comparable to the one she had seen in the park or her own school. It all felt suddenly big and far out of reach. An amazing world she had nothing to do with.

"Nidori-san."

The girl came to a halt, her gaze flying from one stranger to another until she found the icy orbs of no one else but Kuroko in between the other visitors.

"_Ah_, Kuroko-san." Mia breathed in surprise. "Long time no see."

The boy nodded calmly. She hadn't even seen him even though he now looked rather bright in the snow-white uniform of his team. A sight which made it now even clearer that they actually stood on different sides...or at least they should. The girl still couldn't shake off her inner wishes.

"You're here to watch our game, right?" Kuroko asked quietly.

And Mia found herself nodding as well, confirming it swiftly. "I promised." She added.

But it didn't take long before her gaze fell, her attention landing on their shoes instead as she wondered how to word her thoughts the best. Mia barely knew him or Kagami. Nor did she understand the past which connected all of those teenagers she had met up until now. Like a bystander she trotted after them, receiving glimpses and little glances at great and meaningful events.

"Kuroko, there you are! Don't disappear all the time like...Oh."

The orange-head looked up; the loud voice was already recognizable, even from afar, which belonged to the red haired basketball player. His hard expression lit up as he saw her as well, easily recalling their previous meeting at the Onsen not long ago. But behind Kagami appeared yet another boy in a similar white uniform. Another member of the basketball team she hadn't ever seen before.

It was rather funny how small this whole world seemed to be, she had only tried to find the pink haired girl and now she stood here in the middle of the hallway with three students of Seirin High. The break must surely be over soon, the important match waiting. And Mia had still not met up with Satsuki against all odds.

"You probably need to change, right?" Mia asked as her gaze travelled from one face to another. "I actually tried to find Satsuki-san...but this place is huge."

"_It is, isn't it_?" Kagami bursted, pointing at his pale friend beside him. "It was a pain to find him; seriously, Kuroko - the second we went back inside you just vanished."

"I merely went ahead." The suspect stated calmly.

The red haired teen snorted. "_Yeah_, stop that. The coach is already going to have my head anyway."

"_That_ is entirely Kagami-kun's fault."

"_What?"_

Mia started to grin, a soft laugh leaving her lips as she watched the energetic students in front of her. At first she was ignored, but at the sound of her quiet giggles Kagami looked up from his heating staring contest with his friend. The redhead was slightly embarrassed by his own outburst while Kuroko still appeared to be unfazed by the whole situation.

It was hard to imagine, but there must have been a time in the past where Aomine acted like this as well with the pale boy. Someday, before everything went wrong, before her classmate lost all the passion for the sport he had harbored before.

"_Haah_..." The orange-head sighed heavily. "I can't change my mind after all."

Mia shifted slightly on her feet before she looked at Kuroko, locking their gazes in process.

"It sounds probably really, _really_ stupid...but I do hope you'll win today, Kuroko-san." The girl bit her bottom lip in thought. The smile shrinking ever so softly. "And Kagami-san as well, of course. It's just...I mean...uh, give your best, okay?"

That was the shakiest thing which had left her in a long while, Mia mused.

In her head it had sounded a lot better. But now she felt a bit flustered by her awkward way with words, she blinked at the teenager in front of her. Expecting an odd look or question what she was trying to convey. But instead of doing anything like that Kuroko nodded, a ghost of a smile gracing his face.

"Don't worry, Nidori-san. I don't intend to lose against Aomine-kun this time."

It was something about the way he spoke, his voice smooth and warm in contrast to his calm appearance that gave the orange-head the assurance she needed. He had understood her anyway, thank god for that. And with a smile in return she nodded thankfully.

Her ringing mobile phone, however, quickly destroyed the moment. Hastily Mia dug through her pocket for the little device, accepting the call to stop the noise from filling the air.

_"Mi-chan! Are you still lost?"_

Mia paled slightly, she had forgotten about Satsuki for a moment!

"Sorry." She quickly hushed. "I...uh, I'm still in the hallway, I'm coming."

The girl gave the taller boys a wave and smile. The gesture obviously representing a drastic goodbye because Mia couldn't let Satsuki wait any longer, the break was probably already over soon, too. Kagami who had been a bit confused by Kuroko's and hers exchange at first started grinning and gave the orange-head a thumbs-up. His confidence the last push she needed to finally start walking again.

_"Where are you?"_

"In hallway...B?"

"_B?_" Satsuki's voice breathed. "_Did you walk in a circle? I thought you were sitting in the row on the other side._"

Mia blushed as she scowled at nothing in particular. She knew she messed that one up.

"I...I just went the wrong way, remember? I'm nearly there."

The handful of giggles was the last thing the girl heard of her friend before she stopped their call. _Stupid_, they should have labeled the directions better, her inner voice hushed grudgingly. It wasn't her fault that this place was incredibly huge. And with that thought in mind she quickly jogged down the path to catch up with Satsuki.

The match was about to start soon.

* * *

><p>This was it, her mind hushed.<p>

The break was over; the bubbly girl had been able to contain her amusement as they had seen each other. Sharing the last few minutes they had together before they had to go separate ways. And now she had returned to her seat in the audience, watching the teams approach the court under the loud whispers and yells of the people around her.

Seirin and Tōō weren't unknown.

Mia stared flabbergasted at the two boys to her left who talked openly about Aomine. The lazy teen who was part of a handful of other students who were truly talented players it seemed...but 'generation of miracles'? That sounded a bit exaggerated...right? The orange-head didn't know what to think anymore, her dark gaze slowly returning to the team of her high school.

It was her first time to see her blue haired classmate in his uniform. The tanned teenager taking his place on the court just like any other player...it still looked foreign to her though. Sakurai looked so small from her point of view while Imayoshi threw a last few gestures towards his comrades.

It would be her first time to see Aomine play with them.

The first real match anyway.

And with the loud buzzing of the bell it started, people around her cheered while the teenagers on the court moved with the direction of the ball. Mia bit her tongue and narrowed her gaze in hope it would increase her view.

It all went amazingly fast, the ball flying from one side to another. A pass thrown to a team member who tried to get the orange orb closer to the hoop of the opponents - even Sakurai took part in the entire dynamic. Making a three pointer in the beginning which nearly made Mia stand up to join the loud cheers of the reserve player on Tōō's bench, no matter how often she'd see the shy boy do that, it was still amazing.

Her upperclassmen were strong, just like her classmates.

And even though the orange haired girl still couldn't follow every single rule of the sport, she had learned enough about it from Satsuki and Aomine to understand the most of it, she believed. Which points were made from which line, which position was used to defend and attack in the end...

It was incredible to watch Seirin fight against Tōō. Their players all rushing to keep up with her friends and acquaintances - and still it seemed to be difficult. The score ended in the first round with an even number on both sides, a draw.

"Can they really keep up...?" Mia whispered, furrowing her brow.

She had seen Aomine move. His steps and shots were not comparable at all with the way he played with her. The orange-head had known that he never used his real strength and skills with her, _obviously_, Mia sucked at basketball. But it was slightly terrifying to see how fast he was, how high he was able to jump and how easily he kept up with everyone from Seirin.

"_Aho_mine..."

He wouldn't lose...


	46. Day One Hundred Sixty One II

Another day, another chapter.

Right.

This is awkward...I'm splitting it up again. Haha. Sorry, guys! But I really want to give this event attention because it is so important...! And all the character development! I _LOVE_ character development and I hope you can bear with me and the never-ending day, haha. A little fluff, a lot of bad description because who in the hell knows how to describe a basketball match and the next and a semi cliffhanger.

I hope you are prepared!

Thank you for all the lovely follows, favorites and reviews!

* * *

><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY ONE II<strong>_

"Ah!"

Mia jumped up from her seat as Kagami actually stopped Aomine from throwing the ball. She could feel the eyes of her neighbors on her but she was way too involved in the happenings on the court to care. Just like she remembered, he jumped high, his hand touching the orange orb before her classmate could have landed a hit.

Maybe they were really able to stop him after all? Even the blue haired teen seemed surprised, his blue eyes focused on no one else but the ace of the other team. The moments where Mia struggled to keep up with nothing but her gaze, Kagami was able to follow. His hands always close to the ball. His feet were keeping up with the unbelievable pace of Aomine.

And to see that brought nothing but excitement into her veins. The guy who had told her that there was no challenge out there for him, that there existed nobody who would be able to beat him - had now maybe met someone who could show him that it _was_ possible.

Basketball was amazing.

It took her a few seconds before she sat down once more, her feet fidgeting on the spot as she watched the teenagers playing against another. Trying to pass and aiming for the hoop with such energy that even she could feel the intensity from the distance.

_"We will now be taking a break."_ A voice announced through the speakers after the buzzer resounded. _"The third quarter will begin in ten minutes."_

_Ah_, another break?

Mia looked at the ceiling a bit surprised because she hadn't expected a longer pause. Although it was obvious that even the players needed a little breather after all the running they had done. The orange-head leaned onto the railing in front of her whilst her dark eyes travelled towards the basketball team of her school. The teens had all gathered around the bench where they were given a last few words before they were allowed to leave.

The girl would have probably waited on her seat, she didn't know where the lockers were to look for Satsuki anyway, but as she saw Aomine's head turn towards her very direction she wondered if she should head out. Her classmate did nothing, no gesture or movements which could have suggested that he had tried to get her attention in any way.

But Mia couldn't help but wonder what he thought right now. Did he feel excited? Did he have fun? Did he know she still wished him good luck even though she really thought that someone had to kick him off the cloud he had crawled upon?

Grabbing her bag, she had pushed beneath her seat, she quickly stood up and made her way towards the stairs. Quietly she apologized to the other visitors who had to withdraw their legs for her before she reached the certain staircase she needed. She wasn't the only one who used the chance to leave the hall, many other strangers left as well to buy something or move their legs a bit after all the sitting.

She rushed down the steps, dodging a few people here and there on her way. Following the hallway towards her right this time, because she was determined to catch them before they reached the back area. The lockers were definitely only accessible for the high school teams.

But all her ambition wasn't needed, she realized, the moment she reached the entry way. In between the people who were scattered around the wide room stood no one else than the blue haired basketball player, wearing already the jogging suit instead of his uniform.

"I wanna go outside." He drawled; unfazed by her sudden appearance.

That guy had probably already expected her. The orange-head felt a bit flustered because she acted like a silly puppy rushing to him without thinking. Forgetting everything else from one second to another but she hadn't talked to the team before the match at all. The atmosphere around the members had been tense while they collected their thoughts for the coming match - it had felt wrong to invade that.

Now though it seemed to be alright, the blue haired teen waiting here for her showed that. Mutually sharing her idea of seeing another before the second half of the match started. Pursing her lips she turned towards the exit, shouldering her bag properly to try and appear nonchalant.

"Sure."

Grudgingly accepting that the heaven decided to be rather cruel today, she glanced towards her left where her classmate fell into step with her. Aomine leaded her easily towards a quiet place outside, the great building offered many of those and somewhere around a corner was a very small practice court attached to it. The hoop on the wall looked a bit lonely and simple but it sufficed its purpose either way.

"Are you having fun?"

The teen didn't face her as he dribbled the basketball he had taken with him. Mia set her bag aside, rummaging through it to fetch her scarf. In contrast to the walking fireplace in front of her she was already regretting it that she had taken off her jacket earlier, leaving her in nothing but a sweater behind.

The orange-head watched him as she wrapped the soft fabric around her neck, blinking at his broad back while slowly but surely she became uncertain if he had heard her at all.

"You were right."

What?

Mia wanted to voice her confusion but Aomine was faster, he stopped dribbling the ball, holding onto it with one hand as he turned around to her. The grin on his lips was broad. Filling his dark expression with some sinister happiness she couldn't relate to. His eyes were nearly glowing with a new found spark.

"It ain't boring at all."

Aomine glanced at his free hand, flexing his fingers a few times as if he had to make sure it was really happening.

"I can go all out; I can _crush_ him without holding back."

"You sound scary." Mia deadpanned, earning a puzzled glare of Aomine.

"_Hah?_"

The orange-head rubbed her hands against another. Her forehead set in wrinkles as she stared at the basketball player anxiously.

"I asked you if you had fun and you go on about crushing others..."

Aomine's grin faltered a bit, his narrow gaze blinking at the girl in front of him who obviously tried to hide behind her scarf the best she could to seek more warmth against the cold. But then the lines on his face softened, a breathless laugh rising in his throat. With ease he abandoned the ball in his hand, approaching Mia with a few long strides.

The girl looked up as he stood in front of her, craning her neck to see him better.

"It's...fun, kinda." He muttered beneath his breath.

"It is?"

"It is." Aomine agreed in a mumble.

"It's fun." Mia repeated softly.

The blue haired teen scowled at her, the unsettling grin finally slipping from his lips. And that relieved her to be honest because it had felt like he had been suddenly far away with his head. His mind keen on letting his opponents fall in the worst way possible. She had wanted him to be looking forward to this match, of course, but not in that way...

"I'm glad it is..."

It was nothing but a whisper. The words leaving her silently though her tall classmate heard them anyway. Aomine leaned forward, his forehead bumping against hers as he forgot for a single second what for turmoil was going on around them. All what his navy orbs saw were her dark eyes, the color sucking him in as he took a deep calming breath.

"I'm gonna win this." He grumbled, his lazy drawl filling her ears.

_I'm afraid you will._

Mia couldn't say that. However, if he did win this match...wouldn't he slowly return to his old ways? Calling the other basketball player nothing but flies, refusing to take part in matches? She didn't like that. Not a single bit. All those trophies in his room weren't there for nothing. The way he had spoken of Kuroko and their friendship which had bloomed thanks to the sport shouldn't be cast aside like that again.

However, in the end she was nothing but a viewer. A part of the audience which could do nothing but watch from the sideline...

The orange-head closed her eyes, cherishing the burning skin of his forehead which pressed against hers. He was really the best heater someone could ever wish for and her fingertips were itching to just reach out and touch him. It was tempting to hug him, abusing his warmth and taking it all in. But that action would be too bold, the gesture too intimate and she was too afraid of the consequences to really try it.

Instead her fingers played with another, her face softly grimacing at her own stupidity.

_"The break is now over. Please return now to your seats."_

Mia jumped, bumping her forehead harshly against his as she opened her eyes. The announcer's voice had startled her, even more because those ten minutes had run past by her so fast she could hardly believe that the second half of the game was starting already. Another handful of minutes filled with intensity and tension.

The blue haired teen in front of her turned around to pick up the abandoned ball, his familiar stoic expression landing on her as he faced her once more.

"Let's go."

The orange-head nodded absent-minded, her thoughts still astray before she realized what he meant. Quickly she picked up her bag, shouldering it as Aomine brushed past her. His long strides slow and lazy, giving her enough time to catch up to him without rushing.

"Aomine."

The teenager glanced over his shoulder as her hand darted out reaching for his. It was her first time, demanding to hold hands without feeling like a nervous wreck. Something which made her a little bit proud. But it felt like this day was so much more important than her silly antics. Mia gave his hand a squeeze.

"Good luck."

She meant it. And the blue haired teen could clearly read it in her eyes. Cracking a lopsided grin he tugged her forward, back towards the entrance of the building where they'd have to part ways because he had to return to the court while she had to go back to her seat in the audience.

He never really replied in the end.

But in truth, Mia was too afraid to hear his answer anyway.

* * *

><p>Tōō Academy was still leading.<p>

That fact alone made her guts swirl in a mix of happiness and disappointment. Mia never realized how weird emotions could be and how hard it was to cheer for one side alone if you knew members of both teams.

Basketball was such an intense sport, something the orange-head had never realized before but her fingers twitched with every attack of the players. Official matches were really exciting, nothing like the practice match or the street basketball tournament she had seen. The cheers of the audience around her, the encouraging yells of the reserve players on the bench...

It all came together, filling the huge room with noise and warmth. She felt forced to push her scarf soon after her return back into her bag, her gaze glued to the game. The air was dry and warm, burning in her throat as the huge countdown on the screen continued to count down the time they had left.

Seven points difference.

Seirin High was still seven points behind Tōō Academy and Aomine only became faster and faster with every moment. Mia bit the inside of her cheeks, her hands balled into fists as she watched her tall classmate attack smoothly. His agile body easily stepping around his opponents, bending and reaching at unbelievable angles...Aomine wasn't comparable to any other player. Not to Kagami or Imayoshi.

And the time continued to fly by. The seconds passing with every loud screech of the sneakers the basketball players wore.

He wouldn't lose.

That stubborn guy just wouldn't lose.

_'I can go all out, I can crush him without holding back.'_

"Come on, Kuroko-san. Kagami-san..." The orange haired girl whispered, her feet tapping against the ground impatiently. Mia could remember the way he had looked as she had mentioned the InterHigh for the first time, before she had really come to known her classmate as summer came around...

Aomine loved basketball.

She _knew_ he did.

Someone just had to knock that feeling back into his thick, stupid skull. The orange haired girl liked the Aomine who was actually laughing while playing. Who would grin at her when she tackled him out of desperation. It were such rare seconds when his eyes glinted in amusement. But it all came down to the sport and his past.

_'It's...fun, kinda.'_

Mia narrowed her eyes as she cupped her hands around her mouth. The loud cheers and clapping hands around were her easily smothering her own voice but not her spirit. It was for the best. The girl was so certain that the blue haired teen needed this painful kick.

Definitely.

"_Go Seirin!_"


	47. Day One Hundred Sixty One III

Another day, another chapter.

And here is the final of the Winter Cup match! I hope I don't disappoint? 'Cuz yeah, action and sport and basketball. I just. I just can't, haha. My vocabulary is still not the best and the online dictionary my best friend, haha. I hope you enjoy it either way! I still don't know when to end it properly? So I guess we'll have to find out when I'll end this, jeez. I'm so unreliable, haha.

Thank you for all the lovely follows, favorites and reviews! You're all so amazing and sweet!

* * *

><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY ONE III<strong>_

It felt unreal.

The way Kagami and Aomine rushed over the court. No one dared to step in between them, the cheers and jubilance vanished as the sound of your own breathing became louder and louder in your own head. Mia could barely follow them chase after another, her gaze flying from left to right as she sat on the edge of her seat.

The squeaking noise of their sneakers felt like a drumming beat. The dribbling ball was the rhythmic which offered the pace for the chaotic atmosphere in the gym. Tension. Excitement. Focus. All those words became like a chant, the audience captivated by the sparks in the air.

And as the seconds crawled past them, the dance of the aces continuing - they all were left with the last forty seconds.

Mia jumped up from her seat, her hands hurting from all the pressure she forced into her fingers. It was so painful to watch but Seirin made it. One point after another they caught up. And she could finally see it, even from her seat in the audience. The sinister air around Aomine was replaced, the grin on his face nothing but honest, brutal elation.

"_Go_ _Seirin_!"

The orange-head's throat would probably hurt tomorrow. Her voice breaking due to the strength she used. But they couldn't lose now, not after Aomine had made such an amazing hit even while being pressured by Kagami and the others.

_Six seconds._

Don't give up yet!

_Five seconds._

And then a foul. A free throw offered for the team in the white uniform. It was all so close. The girl could hardly believe how easily she fell for the charm of the sport. Cheering, hoping and wishing with all the other people in the hall - the thrill was amazing. Her pulse quickening.

Mia had to force herself to sit down again, her hands resting onto the railing. They had to do it, she didn't know how but they had to. Two points. Seirin had to make two points and they'd win. But there was hardly time for anything.

The whistle was loud in her ears, the squeaking of the sneakers unbearable. And then it happened so fast. The basketball hit the wooden board, bouncing away from hoop before Aomine himself pushed the orange orb far away. Many voices around her whispered. They gasped at the turn of the events which all her tense nerves drowned out.

She released a breath she didn't know she was holding.

_Four Seconds._

Aomine wouldn't lose.

_Three seconds._

That guy just refused to lose.

But then her eyes caught the light blue hair of no one else but Kuroko. The slender boy who caught the ball even though it was thrown across the court, a sight she hadn't thought to be possible. With all his strength he shot it back, aiming it at no one else but Kagami who still stood at the hoop.

_Two seconds._

"Go, Kagami!"

_One second._

Mia didn't know if she had yelled the name of the redhead or if it had been the whole team of Seirin High. But the certain basketball player jumped into the air with all his might. Meeting Aomine who had already come to defend the hoop, however, he was too late. Kagami had reached a height he couldn't reach, his timing too good and with a last swing of his arm he dunked the ball.

The buzzer was loud.

The loud cheering of the crowd was deafening just like her own heartbeat which was trying to crush her head from the inside. It was over. Mia couldn't believe it but it was over and the numbers were clear on the broad display.

101 to 100.

So close.

And yet it was enough. It had been enough and Seirin made it. The orange-head jumped up from her seat once more, hiding her trembling bottom lip behind her hands as she bounced up and down on her feet. The lazy teenager who said there was no challenge out there for him had lost...

Kuroko and Kagami had made it possible after all.

* * *

><p>Mia fidgeted on her spot.<p>

It felt slightly awkward to stand right outside. People passed her on their way home, the great building behind her slowly deserting after the match had come to an end. Satsuki had told her in a text that they would take a bit, the captain and coach had to speak with the team first. The members had to change and cool off a bit, too.

And the girl couldn't help but wonder how Imayoshi and Yoshinori were taking the loss...the two third years had been working so hard...it was difficult not to feel guilty at all. She had been supporting Seirin not even thinking about how the other members of her school's team would feel like if they'd lose.

"_Haah_...makes me that a bad person...?"

Mia sighed heavily, playing with the strap of her bag. The coldness of the night bit her skin but she didn't want to stay in the building when everybody else already left it except the basketball players. It felt a bit odd to do so, probably silly, yeah. But she felt better if she stayed outside...entertaining the idea of calling Aomine because who knew if he was still inside? Maybe he already left...?

The girl was about to rummage through her bag for her mobile phone as the electronic doors of the building behind her opened. Startled she looked up, prepared to make space for a staff member or maybe someone else. Satsuki had told her after all, it would take up to ten or twenty minutes, something the orange-head didn't mind in the slightest.

But her gaze widened as she realized it was Aomine.

He already looked ready to leave, clad in his jogging suit and shouldering his bag. It shouldn't surprise her that he wouldn't stay with his team; he never really hung out with them for long after a match anyway. But she was a bit afraid to see him after she had cheered so loudly for their opponent...he hadn't heard her...now had he...?

Mia gulped.

His face was free of any emotion, the muscles lax and his sharp face suddenly less angular when she remembered. Or at least it looked like it in the pale light of the moon. She blinked at him with wide eyes, uncertain what she should say or do. The orange-head was glued to the ground, merely watching her tall classmate as he approached her with his lazy long strides.

But as he reached her, he came to a sudden halt.

Mia could feel the heat he was radiating. The smell of sweat still clinging to his skin, the strands of his short hair drenched and yet not dry. He looked so strangely calm, hiding the many thoughts in his head behind a stoic expression like always. It made it so hard for her to say something, anything - because she didn't know what she could say to break the uncomfortable silence.

In the end she didn't have to. Aomine leaned suddenly forward, his arms darting out before they encircled her. Half of his weight fell on top of the girl in a swift movement, her knees buckled before she found the strength to keep him up, her fingers burying in his jacket to find hold on him as well.

"I lost."

Mia's face easily turned red due to their close proximity. The unexpected hug made her nerves tingle, her bones rattling with the sudden knowledge that she was indeed standing right there in the arms of the teen who pressed the side of his head against her head. The scent of sweat and something spicy which must definitely be his odor filled her nose as she took a shaky breath.

"Yeah..."

Aomine didn't react right away. The loose hug they shared was all he did, abusing her body as a pillar to share the burden of his weight. It sounded foreign to hear those words by him. The realization hadn't hit home yet completely although the coldness of the season would definitely soon help him to accept reality. Nevertheless, Mia stood her ground. Her body welcoming the warmth he offered as she started to smile. "You smell sweaty."

"Shut up."

The blue haired teen shifted, his head sliding off hers as he buried his face in the crook of her neck and shoulder. If it was because he was tired and exhausted or because he didn't know how to handle the fact that he lost - she didn't know. Helplessly she tightened her hold on her classmate, forcing her heart down from its turmoil. She wanted to comfort and not die from a heart attack.

It wasn't much that she could do, so maybe standing here with him was enough for now?

"Mia..."

The girl shivered at the sound of his voice. It was raspy and hoarse, still muffled by the fabric of her sweater while her whole body could feel his throat vibrate thanks to the usage of his vocal cords. He was so close she could literally feel him speak against her skin. Mia stared at the starry sky above them, her mind willing her face to stop burning just because of something silly as that.

Of course, it didn't listen.

"Mhm?" She hummed weakly.

He didn't answer though. Instead he grumbled something inaudible into her sweater, his weight on her increasing which nearly pushed her down towards the floor. Mia called his name in surprise, warning him that he was throwing them both onto the ground like this but his legs were tired. His muscles ached after all the running and jumping he had done.

So in the end she gave in. Bracing her body to carry his burden the best she could.

It probably looked ridiculous from afar. His broad stature using her small frame as support but nothing mattered as she selfishly cherished the chance of having him this close. Losing was hard, a painful experience he had never gone through before.

But there was always a first for everything. No matter if it was good or bad.

"Mia."

Aomine repeated gruffly and once more she replied with a hum, wondering if he decided to say nothing else afterwards again. This time though he did, his arms tightened their grip on her until she was snuggly pressed against his front. Save from the cold while he was cooled off from his heat.

"Are you free tomorrow?"

The orange-head blinked at the entrance this time, she could see over his hunched shoulder thanks to their position. He sounded as calm as ever, dragging the words out of his mouth as if they were nothing but a chore. It was a small detail, she noted. The way he spoke, lazy and tired no matter what it was about...but it sounded so familiar. Awfully making her feel secure even though this situation was so alien.

"I...am, yeah."

"I want new basketball shoes." The blue haired teen shifted on his feet, his nose and lips grazing her exposed neck while he spoke.

Mia wanted to scowl at him. His sly movement was unfair, her skin burning where he touched it without meaning to. He was able to hear her heartbeat, wasn't he? He could probably feel it as well. The only thing which was left was that horrible grin he always wore. Teasing her, over and over again. He didn't smirk though. No laugh. Or mocking comment.

All she felt was his breathing.

The girl nodded into his shoulder, returning his hug with all the strength she could muster. This was what she had hoped for. The return of his curiosity about the thing he had obviously loved so much in the past. No matter how small it was, it was enough. A little puzzle piece of Aomine which had been lost somewhere around the time where they hadn't known each other yet.

The orange-head smiled warmly into his jacket, suffocated by the warmth and the air around him.

"Let's buy them." She mumbled.

Aomine became silent once more. Another pair of feet in the distance echoed towards their location. Neither of them could see yet who it belonged to, but shortly after the sound had appeared a voice joined it. Distinctively female and Mia was certain that it must be Satsuki who had been sent to search for the missing team member like always.

The blue haired teen groaned, knowing that another preaching awaited him. For the last time he tensed his muscles, nearly crushing the girl in his arms as he seemed to try to get rid of any space which existed between them.

Mia made a small noise of complain. Her back threatened to crack, she feared, due to his strength. Her rips were surely not built to withstand the unbelievable strength of her tall classmate. But he didn't even think about letting go anytime soon, his hug locking her in place while his thoughts trailed after so many things at the same time.

"I want to practice."

The orange-head laughed breathlessly into his shoulder.

"The _great_ Aomine wants to practice?"

Finally she could feel it, his lips which formed a wide grin against her skin. Not teasing, or mocking. Not amused by sheer mischief or malicious glee. It was honest. Just like the expression he had worn as he had played against Kagami. And the girl felt silently thrilled that she was able to cause it again. Somehow.

If only Satsuki would take a little bit longer to find them.

Mia started to slowly like the bone crushing hug because every time she tried to tighten her grip he'd return it. Always squeezing back with more strength than she used. Keeping her far away from their surroundings in the unimaginable warmth he created. The girl took a deep breath, wrinkling up her nose due to his sweaty smell. Something which nearly made her laugh once more.

How was she supposed to voice all those feelings in any way?


	48. Day One Hundred Sixty Two

Another day, another chapter.

Phew, I'm really late right now! Sorry about that, had a bit here and there to do. Help out a friend and being lazy is not a good combination! But here I finally am with another update! There is no kiss yet, sorry to crush your hope and dreams, hehe. But we're getting there. You know me. Establish relationship. Bonding time. I'm a sucker for those.

Thank you for all the lovely follows, favorites and reviews! I don't know where you all come from but you're all so _nice_ and _sweet_ and I hope you're all enjoying the story!

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><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY TWO<strong>_

"Like these?"

"_Nah_, the sole is too smooth."

Mia scanned the profile of the shoe in her hands, her thumb brushing over the light brown sole as if her fingertip was able to feel the certain aspect he had criticized. Although she couldn't, the surface felt rough. Promising a good grip on the court. Well, at least she thought so. The basketball player beside her had probably a lot more experience than some girl who felt a bit out of place in a sports shop.

The orange-head put the shoe back onto the shelf, walking down the path in front of it to look at the others. It felt nice to be inside the building instead of the cold outside; the sky was already darkening even though it was barely late afternoon.

The seasons surely changed quickly, she mused thoughtfully.

Mia approached the blue haired teen who stood at the end of the shelf, following his eyes which stared at a pair of shoes in the second row. She could barely see them from her angle, the object far out of her reach but it seemed that they did catch his attention because he had been looking at them for quite a while.

"Are they good?"

Aomine glanced at her from the corner of his eye, only for a second, before he looked forward again. The teen shrugged with his shoulders, being a bit wary about his opinion. His deep voice grumbled about a prize he didn't win because of Kise and Kuroko. Making the girl watch him quietly, carefully listening to the little memory he offered more or less.

Curiously she leaned onto her toes, reading the label of the dark pair of shoes. LeBron James. Something which told her nothing but it probably was a well-known basketball player who was famous enough to have his own brand.

"I'll probably just go with Air Jordan's." Aomine muttered beneath his breath, grabbing a box out of the third row.

It was strange to see him interested in something as that. Really putting effort and time into finding a pair of shoes because his old ones are too battered and worn out...she still hardly understood the clear differences between them. Colors? Sure. Quality? Not really.

And at the time as they had wanted to watch the movie and ended up in a sports shop first too, he had looked around as well, a bit half-hearted and never considering to buy a pair for real...until now.

Mia found herself smiling behind his back as she trailed after him towards the counter. She didn't mind in the slightest to spend her time like this with him. Glancing around the shop in silence where all the other equipment was placed neatly on different shelves and tables. Shirts, suits, shoes, bats. There were a lot different objects around, all part of a different sport.

Absent-minded the girl grabbed the rim of Aomine's jacket, tugging at the thick fabric to get his attention while he paid for the shoes. His narrow gaze appeared in her view as he twisted his head around to look over his shoulder, a single eyebrow lifted into the air.

"What?"

"What should we-"

Her voice got easily interrupted by a shrill ringing, the noise startling her to some extent. However, it was nothing but Aomine's mobile phone in the end which he dug out of his jacket's pocket with a frown. The clerk wished them a good afternoon, a polite gesture neither of them really registered anymore as the blue haired basketball player scanned the display of the small device.

"_What in the..._"

Once more his eyes travelled towards her for a second, as if his mind was measuring something. Weighing options. And all the orange-head could do was wait and see if he decided to voice his thoughts or not.

"Nah, Mia...you still got time?"

She nodded without even thinking. "Sure."

* * *

><p>"Hello."<p>

Ah, it was Kuroko.

Mia blinked at him a bit surprised because her tall classmate at her side had been vague why he suddenly had to go towards the convenience store down the street. At first she had been certain it was Satsuki who had texted him, why - she didn't know. But she hadn't expected to see the pale boy so soon after their match. The two of them were friends, yes, but...it must be hard to some extent to talk to another, right? She didn't know much about everything which had happened...but it certainly was too much for a heart to handle that easily.

"Don't give me that." Aomine sneered. "Why'd you suddenly call me out here, Tetsu?"

The boy in front of them stared at them as calm as ever. It reminded her of Nanami, the raven haired girl who easily kept all her thoughts and opinions to herself. Her expression hard whenever she wanted it to be except when she was laughing about her misery...did Kuroko maybe have such a side as well? _That_ could actually be rather scary.

"Let me be direct." He declared. "Aomine-kun, teach me how to shoot."

Her tall classmate quirked his brow, his lips falling as he frowned at his old friend. "_Hah_?"

To shoot?

As in throwing the basketball into the hoop? The girl hardly thought that was something a high school basketball player should learn this late...although now where she tried to recall a time where the pale boy had made a hit in the match, she couldn't. She had seen him, definitely, running on the court. At the last second he had passed the ball to Kagami but...he never had tried to throw the ball...or had he?

"Are you kiddin' me?" Aomine grunted but the youngster appeared to be resolute.

"I'm serious."

The blue haired teenager bit back a rude retort it seemed, his mouth opening without spilling any words before he glanced at her instead. Mia found herself suddenly in the wrong spot, a bit alien in a situation where she maybe was actually more burden than help. So quickly she shrugged with her shoulders, the dark round eyes looking up at the teen beside her to show her tolerance.

"I don't mind."

"Seriously?" His gruff tune made it obvious that he had expected a lot more struggle.

"Seriously. I do owe Kuroko-san something anyway."

Mia smiled at the quiet boy in front of them who actually returned the gesture with a light smile of his own. Aomine, however, watched that exchange with a scowl. His sharp eyes narrowing at both of them as his mood darkened.

"What are ya talking about."

"Nothing, Aomine-kun." Kuroko exclaimed calmly, his attention already shifting. "So, will you help me?"

"I..." Aomine was about to agree, she believed. His expression was torn between slight confusion and annoyance although the latter won, obviously. "I'm serious, what the hell were you talking about."

Mia couldn't help but laugh, her hands lifting to pull the scarf tighter around her neck to hide her lips. She easily earned a glare for that, something which didn't threat her anymore in the slightest because she had gotten so used to his very being. Even the heavy air he carried around him had become so normal; it was honestly weird if it wasn't present in the first place.

"I'd like to see it, too. You suck at explaining, Aomine. I want to see if I'm the only one who struggles with that."

The blue haired basketball player snorted. "You are just a terrible learner."

The girl shook her head, still amused by the whole situation. "We'll see that then."

"Tch. Whatever, he can at least show me what he can do."

Aomine rubbed his neck, avoiding both of their stares as he chose to look at the passing cars on the street instead. To Kuroko and her, it definitely sounded like defeat. Both teenagers exchanged a meaningful gaze and Mia could suddenly understand how these two boys had become friends in the past. How their friendship worked was still a riddle, a puzzle she probably wouldn't ever solve but she could understand the dynamic which kept that bond alive throughout their middle school years somehow.

Maybe now, after her classmate had hit the ground, their friendship could breath once more?

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><p>Mia found herself standing at the sideline. The plastic bag with the shoes Aomine had bought rested beside her feet next to the school bag of the shorter boy, her hands were rubbing her arms absent-minded as she watched how the orange ball crashed against the hoop full force. It bounced backwards, quickly losing its strength before it rolled to Kuroko's feet.<p>

She couldn't help but stare, her nerves dropping as she stared at the pale boy, not trusting her eyes.

He couldn't be serious...he was just as bad as her...?

"How was that?"

Aomine was the first to burst. The vein on his temple was throbbing as he spread the anger he felt with every single breath he took. For someone like him it must be surely painful to watch that. Even Mia had to cringe. How had the tall teen watched her with that stoic expression of his in the past when she had thrown as helpless as that? Well, she _was_ a total beginner...but still.

"You _can't_ be serious!" The blue haired teenager yelled, balling his fists to contain the turmoil inside of him. "How am I supposed to feel if you drag me out here, only to show off your _crappy_ shooting?!"

Kuroko shrugged with his slender shoulders. "That's why I asked you."

"I never said I'd teach you to shoot!" Aomine grunted immediately.

This time even the cool expression of the calm boy fell. He bent down to pick the ball up, his light eyes staring up at the tall basketball player in front of him. Round, blank. As if he was a kid who got rejected, who wasn't allowed to take the last cookie even though it wanted it.

"...why not?"

The mood of Aomine only became worse, Mia mused from the sideline. She could see how his shoulders tensed up, his muscles twitching. They yearned for release in form of a punch or other drastic action because if anything sounded like a bad idea then it was to piss him...which Kuroko apparently did. With a single terrible shot.

Man, it must have been a miracle that he had been so patient with her up until now.

"There's something wrong with someone who _beats_ a guy and makes him _teach_ him how to shoot the next day!"

Aomine's deep voice boomed over the empty practice court. And for Mia it was the second time he had actually really said that he had lost. Yesterday he hadn't mentioned it ever again. On the way back it was rather quiet - the team was not in the mood to talk, obviously. Satsuki had mostly filled the silence with some nonsense, trying to lift the defeated spirits.

But the basketball player hadn't mentioned it once today either.

Her classmate sighed deeply, kicking the ground beneath his feet. It wasn't like him, but it seemed like he actually thought as well that his outburst had been a little bit too much. He lifted a hand, rubbing half of his face as if he was tired, the navy orbs landing on Kuroko's feet.

"I haven't slept since then...I went home." Aomine muttered beneath his breath. "I ate, took a bath...then I went to lie down. But I couldn't sleep." A sigh. "My body was exhausted, but when I closed my eyes I saw the game."

Mia's gaze softened as she watched the broad back of the teen. There were things she couldn't tickle out of him, things he only shared in the presence of Kuroko who quietly watched his old friend. It made her wonder how much else she still didn't know. And how she could offer support...it often felt like she failed at all those things even though she really wanted to help.

"I had forgotten how it felt to lose. My chest feels tight, I feel nauseous like I'm going to puke...and my head is pounding." Aomine's foot still kicked against the pavement, the motion monotone. "I kind of missed it, but now that I've experienced it again, I don't miss it at all...it, it still just _sucks_."

Ah, that did sound like him.

"But." The blue haired teen started, finally looking up to stare at Kuroko once more. "That's why I want to play basketball again so soon."

"Aomine-kun..."

"Jeez..." Aomine breathed heavily, interrupting his friend roughly who had tried to speak up. The orange-head actually jumped as he turned around towards her, shrugging of his dark jacket as he approached the sideline she stood on. "Talking about it made me want to play."

With a swift movement the tall teen threw his jacket over her shoulders, making her easily disappear in the way too big clothing. But the warmth which had belonged to him a few seconds ago crawled through her wool cardigan, warming her shivering limbs with ease. Mia welcomed that with all her heart, the air had turned colder and colder. She could hardly watch Aomine stand there in his white sweater without a care in the world.

But as he noticed her glance he cracked a lopsided grin, tugging the jacket further around her body to make sure she was drowning in his blue jacket which smelled just like him. A thought which probably let her face heat up, she honestly hoped that the darkness covered her.

"I'll play with you." Aomine grumbled as he turned away from the girl, catching Kuroko's attention who had watched the unusual gentle interaction with curious eyes.

"Huh?"

"I'm saying I'll teach you to shoot, moron." He already sounded annoyed again, but the tone was shallow and empty.

Mia lifted her hands to keep the jacket close, smiling as she watched the teenagers get ready to play against another. Even Kuroko seemed to be a bit surprised, his blank face broken by a smile which she had never seen clearer as now. He easily turned around to her classmate who had patted his head, making him frown with his sudden good mood.

"What are you smiling about?"

"It's nothing." The shorter boy said. "It's just...we used to practice like this a lot in middle school."

Aomine looked taken back a bit, not expecting him to bring up their past which always looked like a very fragile topic. But he easily covered his true thoughts, scowling at the boy in front of him.

"Just hurry up and shoot the ball, idiot. You said you don't have much time, right?"

That was the last push Kuroko needed before he started to dribble the ball. Mia leaned back onto her right leg, content in the warm jacket she had now draped over her shoulders. Right, she had maybe actually wanted to ask Aomine if they should grab some food on their way to the train station. Maybe a little excuse to not just immediately leave after they had bought what he wanted...

But this was better, her inner voice hushed. Nicer. Because he was actually playing basketball willingly with someone else but her and the orange-head was not even comparable to any other teen out there. Though, maybe she could actually win against Kuroko in a battle if it was all about shooting...Mia laughed breathlessly into her scarf, watching the teenagers easily stepping around another. Dodging, aiming and throwing the ball towards the hoop.

"Just ten more minutes." Aomine threw over his shoulder into her direction after he had dunked the ball, much to Kuroko's displeasure. He was supposed to _teach_ him not _defeat_ him.

"I can wait." The girl replied still smiling.

She felt perfectly fine on the sideline, wrapped up in the warmth of his jacket.

She didn't want to go home yet anyway.


	49. Day One Hundred Sixty Four

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**EDIT - removed after end of the story for a better look - EDIT**_

And here it is, another update so late because I just get busier and busier, haha. Sorry about that. But better late than never, right? I know many of you are eagerly awaiting a kiss but you know how I love to tease you and instead I offer you more fluff to establish the relationship they are slowly creating for themselves!

Thank you for all the lovely follows, favorites and reviews! It's so exciting every time to read what you think and feel.

I'm so happy that you're all still enjoying it!

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><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR<strong>_

Mia hugged the pillow close to her chest, watching intently the figure on the screen run through the dungeon, passing monsters and quickly jumping over an edge. With a loud yell the animated hero landed in a lake, gasping and throwing his arms around. The ceiling was crushing down on him which made the teenager beside her curse, his narrow gaze glued to the television as he tried to dodge all the sharp rocks.

"Why in the hell did he take that jewel anyway..." Aomine grumbled as he narrowly escaped another game over.

"Well, it's all about the sick brother who needs it."

"Bullshit."

The orange-head laughed at his sour tune, shifting on her spot on the bed until she lied down. This time they had changed the positions, she was sprawled across her bed. Resting on her stomach so that she could face the television, the soft pillow crushed between her chest and the mattress. He, on the other hand, sat on the ground, leaning against the furniture for support. He had angled his long legs slightly, bending them at the joints to get more comfortable.

His navy orbs were concentrating on the screen, his fingers pushing buttons to make the animated figure run and fight against whatever odds which were thrown in his way. He had surprisingly not died yet, the determination to get out of dungeon alive kept him focused because on every other day they had played together she had been the hero in the end. Solving riddles he couldn't. And killing the final boss where he struggled.

"How is Kuroko-san doing by the way?"

At her question Aomine paused for a single second, glimpsing at her over his right shoulder before his attention returned to the video game.

"Better, it ain't perfect yet but he's improving, I guess."

The girl made a little sound of understanding. In school he had actually told her that he'd help his old friend out again over the days, coaching him. Satsuki had approached her in break because of that, delighted that the blue haired teen was talking with Kuroko once more after he hadn't really spoken about him since they had graduated from middle school.

It felt like a little movie from her point of view, a conflict solved. The different roles slowly finding to another after a tragic event and it made her strangely happy as well. She hadn't done much. But the bubbly girl, Kuroko and even her lazy classmate treated her as if she had always been part of it.

"You think I could beat Kuroko-san? In a basketball game, I mean."

Aomine continued to stare at the television, his mind obviously working and putting the picture together in his head. His broad shoulder shook slightly as he snorted, a breathless chuckle rumbling in his chest before he guided their animated hero out of the lake. Back onto the route of the dungeon.

"_That_ might actually be possible."

"Really?" Mia perked up, her attention completely shifting towards the basketball player.

"Tetsu ain't an aggressive player; he's a supporter...although we're workin' on that right now."

The idea alone of finally having the chance to beat anyone at the sport made her a bit excited. The girl still didn't understand the concept completely of whose good for defense and whose is suited better for offense attacks. But to hear from Aomine himself that she did indeed have a chance to win against the pale boy made her smile.

"Ah, shit." The tall teen grunted.

He had maneuvered the animated figure into a trap. The color on the screen faded, offering them the sight of a handful of bold letters. The familiar bloody 'GAME OVER' appeared, together with a soothing yet sad melody. Aomine was ready to throw the controller in his hands against the wall, even though he kept his annoyance bottled up.

It wouldn't be his wall he'd damage.

It was a first. To be exact the very first time ever, but the blue haired teen was right now at Mia's place instead of his. He had met up with Kuroko not far away from her home; the shorter boy had a match that day which in the end leaded them to a court which was in a neighborhood not far from the girl's district.

In the end it just all ended up like this.

Although it strangely didn't feel weird, she had been in his room as well. A few times, to be honest and there was nothing in her four walls which could make her too embarrassed. She maybe didn't have any trophies or medals like he did but she did have a handful of video games and consoles which interested him.

"My turn." Mia stated contently, amused that he had never once completed a single dungeon on his own.

Her classmate twisted his head around to her, glowering at her obvious good mood. She enjoyed way too much his misery, something which maybe rubbed off on her since she had come to known him. Or maybe because Mia had to deal with a person named Nanami since the start of high school, the orange-head learned to cherish it if she won a fight. No matter how small.

"One more try." Aomine grumbled, stretching his left arm to the side to get the controller out of her reach.

"You had your chance."

The blue haired teen narrowed his eyes, watching her movement attentively as Mia reached for the controller anyway. Stubbornly, not giving up his pride just yet, he pushed his arm further away from her grasp. Easily creating a gap which made the access impossible as long as she didn't stand up, or decided to climb all over him - Satsuki had done so as they were very young, wailing and cursing all the way.

The orange-head, however, was uncertain if she should laugh at his childishness in this very moment. Offering him to let him try again, or to keep up her stubborn appearance. She did rarely beat him at anything and if she now became soft, he would maybe grow another spine of arrogance in her department. Video games were her battleground after all.

"Come on." Mia laughed. "You lost, face it."

The girl finally faced him, a broad grin gracing her lips before she realized how close he really was. His head had always been right at her side because she had leaned onto the edge of the bed. It made it more comfortable to speak with another, handing over the controller to take turns. But now where she had leaned slightly to her left, her arm reaching across his chest in hope she could grab the little object he still held far away, she realized how easy it had become to cross lines without noticing them right away.

The grin slipped off her face, the blood rushing into her cheeks to remind her how unnatural it was to invade the personal bubble of another person. Mia had always been the one to watch such things, her tall classmate had the issues of understanding the polite space a person needed. Not her.

And still here she was, the comfortable atmosphere mixing with her anxiousness. His scent suddenly strong and thick, the color of his eyes so close that she could see the small drawings around the iris - a detail which differed from human to human. Mia tried to form a word with her lips. The orange-head had no idea what it would be.

Sorry?

What?

There was nothing to apologize for, right? She had done nothing wrong; she had done nothing at all to be exact. Their bodies weren't even touching in any way yet; all she had done was realizing she was too close to him for her own liking. Her heart wasn't made for all of that. And to merely say _'what'_ didn't fit either in such a situation. Mia needed a new word. _Yes_. A complete new one which could capture the chaotic turmoil she felt perfectly...

"Uh..."

Genius.

Absolute genius.

Aomine's eyes darted to her lips as she spoke, the frown he had worn disappearing with her grin together as all he did was stare at her. Stoic, calm. That look she didn't feel comfortable with because it wasn't showing one of the obvious trades of him she had come to known. Something foreign. Complete attention. And that alone let her cheeks tingle with the wave of startling warmth her blood brought with it.

Attention wasn't her thing.

Her heartbeat became louder, the organ pushing and knocking against her ribcage because the ridiculousness of his whole moment made it only further embarrassing down the road. And with every loud '_thump_' she could hear in her head the seconds ticked by, neither of them moving.

Until her door was thrown open with so much force that the wood crashed against the wall, bouncing off it until it swung back towards the intruder.

Mia gasped out of surprise, her whole body jumping upwards until she sat on her bed while Aomine whipped his head around in surprise as well. The bewilderment was written across their faces as their eyes focused on the tall person who stood in the now open door. Face hard, bright eyes determined - it was her father who carried a tray with a bowl and two cans on it. Definitely a snack her mother had prepared who had been happy to see that the basketball player came to visit them.

At least the older woman hadn't been as curious as Aomine's mother, merely greeting the tall teen with a warm smile before she had promised them to prepare a little treat. Who could've expected that her father had decided that he should be the messenger? Well...the girl should've, she guessed...

Her father stared at them quietly before his gaze wandered throughout her room, searching for any hint - for who knew what - until he became satisfied that nothing was amiss. Whatever that was, his imagination was always extreme. The first time she had brought friends over in middle school he had seriously considered the possibility of a meth lab...that had been the fault of the show he had seen at that time. But still.

"_Dad_?" Mia asked carefully, pressing a hand against her eyes to hide her obvious embarrassment.

"Uhm, yeah." The tall man started, realizing that his dramatic entrance had been for nothing. "...snacks?"

The orange-head glared at him through her fingers, her whole body buzzing from the sudden shock. It felt like she had been nearly caught committing a crime. Her heart bouncing up and down in her chest, trying to calm down at all cost. Carefully her father set down the tray on the ground next to Aomine who still stared at her father without showing any emotion. Her classmate wouldn't admit it but even he had felt his heart nearly jumping out of his throat, too.

The older man stood there for a second, awkwardly watching the two teenagers who had obviously sat there for a long time. Out of his view nearly innocently, she on the bed, he on the ground - the television still showed the dreadful message of the game over. The melancholic music in the background a gruesome reminder how sweet instruments could sound like even if they hummed your loss.

"Uh..." Her father cleared his throat, his mimic quickly relaxing. "Right."

And with that he turned around, leaving her room and closing the door behind him. As if nothing had happened at all. The orange-head wanted to strangle him and his drastic actions. How her mother could survive with his hot-headed personality was beyond her.

Aomine though started snickering. Muttering beneath his breath how her father had surprised even him with his entrance. Mia scowled at him, her hand slipping from her face to reveal her red face. His mother didn't burst into his room like that at least, well, her own neither. But she had yet to see Aomine's father at all. The days she had visited him he hadn't been there to crash into his room like hers did.

"Shut up..." She grumbled, slowly lying on her stomach again to resume her previous position.

The blue haired teen was still grinning; starting the game once more because now the moment from before had vanished. Her mind was too busy to remember that it was actually her turn and that she had tried to take the controller away from her lazy classmate in the first place.

"He once tried to find a meth lab beneath my bed..."

Aomine started laughing again, the sound bursting out of his mouth as he bent forward. Mia pursed her lips, regretting it immediately to have told him of that memory as the basketball player slowly leaned back again. His grin was broader than before, amusement plastered across his tanned face.

"Seriously?"

The orange-head started to smile weakly, the livid event from two years ago coming back to life. It _had_ been pretty funny. Silly and complete nonsense. But she had laughed as well at her father and his dramatic antics. Her mother had watched him with a look of humored disappointment.

"Yeah. It was stupid, really."

Mia pushed her pillow closer to him, resting her chin upon it until she could lean against the side of his head. The teen didn't look at her, shifting slightly on his place until he could return the gesture comfortably. This moment resembled the sudden loss of personal space although this time it happened willingly, neither of them minding the sensation of closeness they had created.

The animated figure on the screen moved once more, controlled by Aomine who still couldn't get rid of the grin on his lips.

"Your dad ain't bad."

The girl chuckled, her feet rubbing against another. "Don't tell me he impressed you with his paranoia."

Aomine let his head roll back into his neck, the action causing him to bump into her shoulder - a made-shift pillow he quickly realized as he continued to play the video game.

"My old man never checked _my_ room for drugs."

He made it sound like an insult.

Mia couldn't help but grin, cherishing the smooth turn of events which made them ignore the rather embarrassing moment from before. It was a relief that he didn't mock her or that he didn't try to make her explain her very professional '_uh_'. She could still feel her skin burn, her nerves tingling in that silly way whenever he was close.

Personal space didn't really exist in this second anymore.

But it wasn't like either of them minded that.


	50. Day One Hundred Sixty Six

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**EDIT - removed after the end of the story for a better look - EDIT**_

I am so freaking late. Like, oh my god. Sorry. Jeez. I just sat there and I had no idea and time. And I was like what, what do I do? Do I already jump towards that? Or should I add something else in between? Wouldn't that be too many canon events after another? Would it be too rushed? I started this chapter three times. Writing around 1000 words before I deleted everything and started again, jeez...writer's block can be so cruel!

Sorry for the wait! Thank you for all the lovely follows, favorites and reviews! It's short and stuff, but eh, I update tomorrow again so forgive me!

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><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY SIX<strong>_

Mia carefully turned the page, reading the content with anticipation as her novel slowly closed in on the final. The familiar sound of squeaking sneakers and hard bouncing of a basketball filled her ears, mixing with a few loud calls and ragged breathing of the teenagers who were training not far away. The orange-head had found a spot on the stage which was now, of course, not needed. The court of her school's gym was spreading right in front of her as she calmly read on.

Satsuki wasn't here today. The bubbly girl was busy visiting another high school to schedule a practice match. The whole team was fired up after their loss, their new captain, Wakamatsu, spreading his eager confidence loudly. The orange-head hadn't known that her upperclassman could be so loud, his booming voice barking commands and insults mostly towards Aomine who just wouldn't do as he was told.

He often refused to pass the ball which always sent the blond teen over the edge.

It was childish, really. But none of the team members really seemed to care; her tall classmate had finally appeared to practice. It was obvious he'd still be an egotistic player. Too used to do everything on his own, rarely relying on anyone but himself but that he had appeared today in the gym was already a big step towards improvement.

Mia smiled quietly to herself, continuing to read the novel which Nanami had recommended her yesterday. Satsuki had asked her to supervise the team - Aomine mostly - because she couldn't be there. A rather unusual request because the girl did nothing but sit here. However, the pink haired girl had insisted that she wanted to be sure that Aomine really stayed true to his word.

_'Dai-chan always lazes around whenever you aren't watching!'_

Satsuki had looked so serious while saying it, wagging her index finger from side to side to make her point clear. And Mia could relate to her concern well, the way the blue haired teen always acted in class wasn't really honorable. But if it came to basketball...

Carefully she looked up, watching the teenagers rush after the basketball. The orange orb was in possession of no one else but the very guy in question, his feet easily stepping around Wakamatsu. The basketball nearly flying from his left to his right hand before he run towards the hoop - dunking the ball with one swift movement to his captain's dismay.

No one could keep up with him if it came to the sport, she mused. Satisfied she looked down again, resuming her reading until soon Wakamatsu stopped the practice. His loud voice easily reached every corner of the gym, making her jump in surprise. She'd never get used to that...

"Ah."

Quickly setting her novel aside she leaned towards her left, grabbing the handful of towels she had brought with her from the locker room. If she was already playing the manager for a single day, she could do a good job at it. Mia sat down on the edge of the stage, handing the snow-white clothes to every club member who approached her - returning each breathless _'thanks'_ with a quiet _'you're welcome_'.

Being a manager didn't seem so hard after all...the girl had thought it must be pretty tough.

"I'm tired."

Her attention shifted towards the last teenager she handed out the towel - the familiar frown of Aomine meeting her gaze as he rubbed his face to get rid of the sweat. Mia smiled at him nevertheless, watching him move towards the spot beside her where he leaned his whole upper body onto the stage. His burning skin welcoming the cool temperature of the floor.

"But it looked like you had fun."

Aomine cracked one of his sharp eyes open, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

"You ain't bored?"

The orange-head shook her head lightly, easily ignoring the way he had avoided to reply to her previous statement. He was a stubborn person after all. Instead she reached back for her novel, tapping her fingers against its cover.

"I got this." Mia said. "But I think it's amazing how everyone is working hard...InterHigh is so far away."

Aomine lifted his upper body, using his elbows as support as he rubbed his neck with the towel. "It only means we got some more time to improve. I'll definitely win next year."

The girl smiled at that. The voice of her classmate sounded gruff and deep like always, although the bitter tune she remembered from the past was gone. Maybe a tiny hint was still present, he was no magician who could heal fresh wounds and change his ways immediately. However, behind his lazy drawl was the light spark of interest. Eagerness. Impatience.

And that alone was already enough.

"Mia."

"Mhm?" The orange-head turned towards Aomine completely, her mind pushing all those thoughts back into the back of her mind.

"Your hand."

The tall teen had offered his own one, the sight confusing her because she didn't know what to make out of it. Nevertheless, she laid her hand obediently into his. There was only a second hesitation in her body before she reacted and did what she was told. His skin was burning from all the exercise he was doing, making her shiver at the harsh contrast of their temperatures.

But Aomine easily lifted her hand towards his face, pressing her palm against his temple before a deep sigh of relief left his lips. He closed his eyes once more. Content to have found something better than the floor to cool off his face, he held her hand right there.

Mia couldn't help but blush. Her lips pursing at the feeling of his skin right beneath her fingertips, it was smooth. But not as smooth as she had imagined - she could feel stubbles. Only lightly, although that was a detail which made her wonder if he shaved. It made him sound older. That was something adults did and not teenagers...right?

But she couldn't move away, letting him abuse her natural cold hands to his advantage before he straitened his body. Standing on his two feet completely again, he blindly reached for her other hand to repeat the gesture on the other side of his face.

Mia laughed beneath her breath, her face probably turning redder as she offered him her other hand on her own will.

"You're better than any cool pad." Aomine groaned as he pressed both of her hands against his face.

It was a miracle how he could always stay so calm. The girl could already feel her heart squeezing, the touch of his skin against hers making her nerves flutter while the teenager in front of her didn't even flinch. His expression merely relaxed beneath her cold fingertips, the hard lines on his face ceasing to exist.

Mia bit her tongue, her gaze ghosting over his face. When he wasn't looking at her it was a lot easier. She could examine the light wrinkles around his eyes, down to his nose and lips where she paused. The sight was familiar, mesmerizing and so close...until her attention slowly but surely lost its focus. For a second her gaze flickered past his head towards the court behind him. And only then she noticed the handful of gazes which had rounded towards them, curious. Startled by the unexpected audience she tried to jerk her hands back, the embarrassment invading her mind.

Aomine quirked his brow in annoyance, his grip on her hands tightened as he refused to let go of his personal cool pad yet. Only as the familiar booming voice of Wakamatsu reached them from the other side of the court, he reacted. Glaring over his shoulder.

"Break is over! Run five laps to warm up again!"

The rest of the club slowly set their drinks and towels aside, grumbling to themselves that they were too tired. Although in the end every single of them did what they were told anyway. Except the blue haired teen who still merely threw a sharp, disinterest look into the direction of his upperclassman.

"That includes you, too. Aomine!" Wakamatsu yelled, throwing his fist into the air. "Quit flirting, you bastard and run!"

The orange-head was ready to die. Surely. With all the blood which filled her head, she was certain that her heart had soon nothing left to pump through her body. But Aomine grumbled something quietly to himself, unfazed apparently by the noisy demand and accusation of his captain as he slowly let her hands slip away.

"You're just jealous."

Of course, he had to rile the blond upperclassman further up.

"What did you _say_-! Six laps, Aomine!"

"_Nah_."

"I'm your captain, for god's sake. You can't just-!"

"I already started running."

"Who freakin' cares!? _Seven_ laps!"

"...if you beat me one-on-one, maybe."

The last thing Mia heard was Wakamatsu's frustrated outcry, his tall form chasing after Aomine as the blue haired teen joined the other club members on their task. It was easy to see from the distance that they continued their bickering. A little one-sided, she noted, by the way the upperclassman continued to swing his fist around while her classmate merely shrugged with his shoulders.

Carefully she lifted her hands which were now rather warm, pressing them against her own cheeks in hope she could get rid of the terrible blush before anyone could really see it.

He was always being so unfair.


	51. Day One Hundred Sixty Nine I

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**EDIT - review corner removed after the end of the story for a clearer look - EDIT**_

Phew, I'm splitting it up again. I thought I wouldn't do stuff like that again but damn, too many events and stuff happening in a single day. And I don't have that much time if I really want to keep up the daily events so I had to cut it. Hope you won't hate me for that, haha.

Thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

* * *

><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY NINE I<strong>_

"Satsuki-san is late, isn't she?"

Aomine snorted at her words, frowning at the strangers which walked past them. The two of them were waiting in front of the train station, waiting for no one else than the pink haired girl who had been bugging them the last few days to definitely come and watch the match today with her. Seirin High was playing against Yōsen High, a high school which was pretty far away from Tokyo in her opinion. But important nevertheless, an old friend of them attended it which made the match crucial as well.

"'Can't believe that _I'm_ actually punctual this time..."

The blue haired teen shifted on his two feet, his attention slowly landing on the girl beside him who had started once more to rub her hands against another. Mia had started wearing gloves already, but the clothing somehow lacked the warmth and safety it promised.

"Still cold?"

"All the time." Mia replied with a sheepish smile. "Just the hands 'though."

Aomine watched her antics in amusement, pulling out his hands out of his parka's pockets as he offered them for her to hold on. A bit too eagerly, she thought, she pulled off the useless gloves. Stuffing them into her bag before she laid her hands in his. Her gaze landed on his long fingers which easily curled around her smaller palms, the familiar warmth engulfing her limbs.

Mia smiled into her scarf, cherishing the way her freezing fingers immediately seemed to melt. In the cold it was easy to excuse her rosy face, even more when she could bury most of it in her grey muffler. Although she couldn't suppress the shudder which accompanied the sudden change of temperature the teenager in front of her brought with him, something which didn't go unnoticed by Aomine.

"Ya sure ain't freezing?"

The orange-head shook her head mumbling a quiet _'I'm not.'_ because he interpreted the tiny gesture wrongly - thank god for that. But it wouldn't be her tall classmate if he wouldn't bend down, nosy enough to make her repeat her murmuring.

"_Hah_?"

Mia wanted to strangle him sometimes for acting like it was nothing. His actions so smooth and intimate while her heartbeat picked up, helplessly. Her nerves tingled in anticipation as she swayed between the comfortable zone they had created over the weeks and the still unknown area which was so far away with its labels. A line which could be broken easily, shattering the thin glass floor they were walking upon - something the girl didn't dare to approach just yet.

"I'm not." The girl repeated a bit louder, lifting her chin to free her mouth from the soft fabric of her muffler.

The blue haired basketball player finally understood her, her voice loud enough this time to convey her message. But instead of retreating, he stayed right there. His body slightly hunched forward to share her eye-level nearly completely - he was just too tall. Always towering over her and everyone else, except some other basketball players and her father, of course - the sport was filled with titans.

Aomine's hands shifted ever so slightly. His thumbs were brushing over her palms, following the long line in her skin unconsciously. It was a sly move, just everything else he did. Naturally. And the tension slowly returned because he was just so close and it was hard to ignore the way his breath hit her face in slow puffs.

Mia blinked at him, her weight rolling back onto her heels. It was just like when they were in her room. It was hard to look elsewhere when her heart pulsed loudly in her head, the focus lying somewhere between their eyes and the certain color which suddenly stood out. It was making her nervous. Holding hands, standing close - she found comfort in all of those things. Warmth and shelter were connected with them in her mind, followed by a shaky fluttering of her heart because her emotions had all started to find those sensations delightful with the lazy classmate of hers.

But this silence was still different.

Not comparable to anything before, foreign and new. And her gaze flickered helplessly down to his lips because she couldn't keep their eyes locked like that. It was only making it worse. Mia was sure she was already burning up; blushing as her thoughts took turns to fluster her further - distracting her enough so that she didn't notice the slow shifting from the teenager in front of her.

The bubble bursted, however, the second a high voice called out. Delighted and shrill.

"Mi-chan! Dai-chan!"

Mia jerked back harshly, taking two steps back to create a safe distance between her and Aomine. Her whole body had received a harsh hit, she believed, the skin buzzing in a sudden rush of adrenaline as if she had watched a horror movie late at night. Oh god, her face must be steaming. Hectically she lifted her muffler, burying her face in the soft fabric until half of it disappeared in an instant.

Satsuki arrived at their side, panting heavily from all the running she had done.

"I'm _so_ sorry for being late! I really thought I wouldn't miss the train..."

Her rosy colored orbs wandered between her friends, her face grimacing in a plea for forgiveness. It had been her who had wanted to watch this match so badly, although the manager was sure that her childhood friend wanted to see it as well - he was just too stubborn to really admit it. But in the end it had been _her_ though who arrived too late. A little blow to her pride, Satsuki had always considered herself as a very punctual person.

Mia nodded deeply, pressing her muffler closer against her face while Aomine frowned at the pink haired girl.

"Satsuki, you're always damn annoying."

Her apologizing expression quickly formed a sulky glare. "What is that supposed to mean, Dai-chan?"

Aomine turned away from the girls; his feet dragging him down the sidewalk. They had already missed the first quarter - that much was obvious, and the blue haired teen easily ignored the familiar wailing of Satsuki who threw a few half-hearted insults after him.

"Why is he _always_ so..." She grumbled to herself, pursing her lips as she turned towards Mia who hadn't moved a single centimeter away from her spot. "I'm sorry you had to wait for so long, Mi-chan! _You_ forgive me, right?"

The girl started to relax, her flustered face cooling off thanks to the vanishing tension in the air. And Mia couldn't help but smile as the basketball club manager threw herself around her neck, going and on how she was sorry for being late and that Aomine was always so rude. It was easy to forgive her and return the hug before they trailed after the tall teen who had already won some distance between them.

If only Satsuki knew how she saved her from another heart attack.

* * *

><p>"Eighteen to Zero!?"<p>

It was hard to believe it as they finally arrived at the gym. The match was well underway, the audience talking to another. Cheering, watching in anticipation how the game would develop. While the teenagers moved across the court, uniforms in black and white mixing with the brighter ones. White and rose. Obviously the color of Yōsen High.

Mia leaned onto the railing in between her friends. Her dark eyes ghosting over the court in hope she could see Kuroko and Kagami anywhere, they were the only players she knew anyway. And it was always amazing to see someone you knew participating in something as big as a tournament.

"There he is..." Aomine mumbled quietly behind her.

Did he already see Kuroko?

"Where?" Satsuki wondered as she appeared at Mia's side, copying her as she leaned against the railing. "Ah. There he is, Muk-kun!"

"Who?" The girl beside her asked puzzled as she tried to find who could maybe have such a rather silly nickname. But none of the many strangers she saw stroke her as a certain _'Muk-kun'_. The club manager smiled at her though, pointing at one of the moving forms beneath them who definitely belonged to Yōsen High.

"There, that's Muk-kun - I mean Murasakibara-kun. He went to Teikō with us."

The orange-head finally settled her gaze on one of the tall players whose long, violet hair nearly reached his broad shoulders. At first her mind concluded that Aomine's friends were really filled with a colorful, strange bunch of people. That guy looked so tall - even from the distance. But then her memories suddenly hit her and she opened her mouth, gaping at the titan on the court.

"No way!"

Out of reflex Mia suddenly crouched down, hiding from the basketball player who'd never even notice her. This action though earned her a curious glance from her friends, who both furrowed their brow. It was certainly a reaction they hadn't expected. Satsuki crouched down next to her, her round eyes blinking at her in confusion.

"What's wrong, Mi-chan?"

"I saw him before." The orange-head gushed, slightly embarrassed by her own outburst. "In summer, I mean. I, I had that chocolate and he...I mean he wasn't threatening me but- you _know_ him?"

The pink haired girl started giggling, bumping into her friend with a sudden broad smile. "You've met Muk-kun before! He surely has his quirks, hasn't he?"

"I...I guess..."

How come Teikō Junior High had so many strange students? That guy was so tall! And the bright girl beside her called him by such a silly name as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Was it even possible to be so tall like he was? Murasakibara. How were Kuroko and Kagami supposed to get past someone like him? Mia hadn't been able to utter a single real word as she had stood in front of him because his whole stature had knocked the air out of her lungs.

"Doesn't look good for Seirin." Aomine murmured beside them and both girls looked up, their previous topic forgotten as they stood up once more.

"What do you mean?" Satsuki asked him.

The blue haired teen shrugged with his shoulders, his navy colored orbs focused on the game in front of them.

"They went to give the final blow."

"What?" The orange-head whispered baffled, her attention quickly shifting back towards the court.

It was hard to watch how the gigantic basketball players of Yōsen High moved against the defense of Seirin. The height and strength were easily over-powering. The score on the broad display an easy indicator how much trouble the teenagers had to fight against the strategy of their opponents. But for Mia it all still looked too chaotic, the positions were vague and the final blow her classmate talked about unclear for her untrained eyes and knowledge.

Curiously she turned towards the blue haired teen, blinking at his bored expression.

"How do you know?"

At her question he looked at her, his attention shifting between her and the match. It was as if he debated whether or not to voice his thoughts. But maybe it was her question had sounded earnest, Mia really wanted to understand what he had seen she had failed to notice, Aomine moved towards her other side. His sharp eyes staring back to the teenagers in uniforms.

"The score shows it. They haven't been able to land a single hit. If they won't break the offense now - when will they?

Mia quickly turned back towards the court, keeping his explanation in mind. Her mind was mauling over his gruff words until she slowly but surely understood the reasoning behind his brief explanation. If they wouldn't be able to stop their attacks after they already failed at that in the first quarter...they'd surely lose hope.

"Yōsen wants to crush their optimism."

"Exactly."

Rather proud the girl smiled up at the tall teen beside her. Aomine still watched the match in front of them but she could see the light twitch in his lips, the weak curl in the corner which indicated a light grin. Mia still didn't understand many things about the sport, the basics were still blurry in her mind after the few times she played basketball herself or watched a match. But it felt good to be able to at least be able to follow the knowledge of Aomine or Satsuki.

"Ah, Tetsu-kun got the ball!" The bright haired girl beside Mia gushed, easily steering the alertness back towards the basketball game.

The pale boy was indeed in the possession of the ball. His short form was moving from one spot to another as he definitely focused on the hoop, his comrades were dodging the titans of the other team to keep their attacks at bay. The orange-head leaned onto her toes in hope she could see better what was happening. That was what Aomine had been trying to teach him the previous days.

Kuroko was going to throw the basketball.

And the girl could remember so well how his first try had looked like a few days ago. The way he held the ball looked weird to her, his body tensing as he stood in front of no one else but Murasakibara. Aomine narrowed his eyes at the display, muttering to himself that the violet haired teen won't be able to stop this ball.

And just like he said, he couldn't.

That titan tried, he really did.

But before Mia knew it, before she could even really _see_ it - it was over. The orange ball had landed in the hoop, bouncing onto the floor beneath it. And just like that Seirin earned their first two points of the whole match.


	52. Day One Hundred Sixty Nine II

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**EDIT - review corner removed after the end of the story for a clearer look - EDIT**_

I have like really no time. And I'm so late. And stuff awaits me. And more stuff! I'm SO sorry for the long wait and late update and everything. It's really, really short. And a little less from everything but yeah, life, you know? A few hoped for a Haizaki trouble event, but I honestly couldn't squish them in this chapter. I tried. Like a few times but it was impossible because it always ended up too forced to my liking. And you know me, I want everything to be realistic and with a good flow.

Maybe later? Just not now yet, haha. Thank you for all the lovely reviews and the follows and the favorites! You guys are amazing!

* * *

><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED SIXTY NINE II<strong>_

She couldn't shake off the feeling that she'd never be able to face Murasakibara in the future without being scared again. It was certainly different from the anxiety she had developed in the beginning because of Aomine. Her tall classmate who always looked rather angry from afar and whose attitude she had only met rarely at the start of their first semester had quickly formed her fear of being crushed or murdered - that is until she really got to know him.

Murasakibara, however, was a whole different thing. A real titan with hands which could curl around her head easily, crushing it without a problem...although the most important evidence, the orange-head had, was definitely the moment he had broken the hoop. All he did was dunk the ball, his weight and strength tearing the board and metal ring down. The pole which held the construction bent at a horrible angle and that all because of a single human being.

_Yeah_, Mia thought, _definitely not ever facing him alone again._

She was lucky she had chocolate on that day. Who knew what he would have done if she didn't have any sweets?

The girl could sympathize with the teenagers on the court. Fighting against the impossible enemy, crawling their way through the strong defense - it felt like an eternity. Losing, scoring. A team member of Seirin had to leave the court because of an injury; Mia had never known how intense the sport really was. It wasn't only the match she had seen of Aomine; it seemed that every single one was just as difficult, tense and extreme.

And all of that had rushed past her before she had met Satsuki and her classmate. A complete world.

"Kagami-san's jumps are really amazing." The orange haired girl murmured.

As they had arrived, Seirin High had not a single point. Nothing. They were losing and the second quarter had already started. But here they were, cheering loudly. With a score of 72 to 73, they had made the impossible happen. Always so close, yet enough.

It made their victory only sweeter. The hard work and training paying off.

"Yeah." Satsuki agreed at her side, smiling broadly while the blue haired teen beside them only snorted.

"He was lucky he finally got his damn head in the game by the end."

"Hush, Dai-chan." The club manager quickly huffed, pulling Mia along the corridor towards the rest area of the tall building. "Tetsu-kun won. And he was finally able to score, too. So don't destroy the good mood!"

Aomine frowned at her, clicking his tongue in annoyance although in the end he stayed quiet. Maybe he just wasn't in the mood to start an argumentation; the bubbly girl was surely as stubborn as he was. And who knew how often they already had such differences, the two of them knew best when to leave something as it was and when to not...or at least Mia hoped so. She surely couldn't always play the messenger between the childhood friends if a fight did escalate.

"I'm actually thirsty." Mia started to reel the conversation away from the previous match. Successfully earning the attention of her friends. "I saw a vending machine at the entrance earlier, you want something, too?"

"Oh, something warm would be great - maybe tea?"

The girl smiled and nodded. "Tea, check. What about you, Aomine?"

"I'm good." He grumbled as he sat down a chair, stretching out his long legs.

Satsuki joined him, relieving her feet after all the standing they had done. Her round eyes rolled up to the orange-head, her lips curling into a bright smile.

"Thanks, Mi-chan."

* * *

><p>Tea.<p>

Green tea? Lemon tea? What in the world was rose tea?

Mia stared at the different kinds. A lemonade can was already in her left hand, her own choice easy. But now the girl regretted that she hadn't asked Satsuki which kind of tea she wanted. Maybe she liked something more mature and bitter - but the bubbly basketball club manager always reminded her of sweet things so she couldn't just go with something herb.

A bit over-challenged she had looked for different vending machines in the great gym. In hope that maybe one of them had a certain type of tea which would make it suddenly obvious which was the right choice. And in the end Mia was desperate enough to seek out the last one just outside the building.

It was her luck that they all offered the very same variety of drinks...

...maybe just fruit tea then that was definitely the safe choice...

Slowly she pushed a few coins into the slot, pressing two buttons which were needed to make the machine work. Mia could hear the buzzing of the gears inside the metal box. The only real noise outside next to a few voices in the distance, they were still lots of visitors around who enjoyed the break before the next match started. It wasn't only Yōsen High and Seirin that played today. She hadn't realized it before until Satsuki mentioned it and asked if she was still free to watch the next one as well.

Kaijō High was playing.

This time she didn't need to ask why they wanted to see that match. Kise Ryōta was attending that high school, the popular model. One of Aomine's old friends. She was honestly a bit curious to see him play; the blond haired guy had been printed on so many covers already. Magazines of all kinds mentioned him - but if Aomine got along with him, he surely must be good at basketball, too.

"Probably one of those natural talents at everything..." She mumbled quietly, crouching down to grab the warm can of tea out of the vending machine.

"There you are."

Mia gasped out of surprise, jumping to her feet. Her gaze whipped around, her thoughts had been loud enough in her own head to keep her busy but to suddenly be awoken like that had actually shocked her to say the least.

"Aomine..."

Her tall classmate stood behind her, the familiar bored expression gracing his face as he stuffed both of his hands into the pockets of his parka.

"Satsuki won't shut up that you've been gone for too long...why are you outside?"

She smiled sheepishly at the teen, showing him her final choice concerning the tea for the bubbly girl. "I couldn't decide which tea Satsuki-san would like...so I just...searched for a while."

Aomine sighed. For him it probably sounded like a silly reason, although to her it was important. Kinda, at least. She didn't want to disappoint the club manager in any way; she was always so nice to her. For the basketball player it was all too much trouble obviously and he lifted his brow as he nodded towards entrance.

"Let's get back then."

"You're sure you don't want anything?"

His eyes fell towards the vending machine in front of them, scanning the selection for a second before he finally gave in and dug through his pocket for a few coins. As Aomine stepped forward to press the few needed buttons for his drinks, he leaned his weight onto his left foot. Thoughtful for a short second.

"You didn't meet a guy named Haizaki on your way...right?"

"Haizaki?" Puzzled she held onto both cans in her hands, watching the tall teenager beside her press the final button. "Is he another friend of yours?"

Aomine bent down to pick up the can he had bought, frowning at her as he did so. "Not really. Just heard he's playing against Kise...can't really stand him."

Mia hummed quietly to herself, her mind trying to recall if she had ever heard of that person before. But in the end she couldn't. It was an unknown name without a face. Slowly the girl pushed the cans into her jacket's pockets, wondering if she should ask a bit more about a person Aomine didn't seem to like that much. It was rare that he clearly spoke of his distaste towards a person in that way.

All he did was call others annoying. Or too weak. But never really a personal grudge.

"Well...I didn't, I think." She replied in the end.

"Good." Aomine mumbled absent-minded, after he took a gulp from his drink. "It's better that way."

A bit confused she glanced at her classmate. Not understanding what thoughts had plagued his mind after he had heard from Satsuki that Haizaki was here. Nor that he had mainly searched for her to make sure she wouldn't meet that guy in the first place.

Although the blue haired teen thought she didn't need to know that.

"Basketball surely is amazing." Mia said quietly.

Aomine's attention shifted until it all lay upon the girl in front of him. She had started to play with the strap of her bag, her eyes watching her rosy fingertips as they pulled and tugged at the fabric. The orange haired girl had to remember the few times she had played the sport with her tall classmate. And not to forget the matches and the practice in the recent weeks...Mia would have never expected herself to be a fan of any sport. She had never really cared for any sport before, it was always something which was far away from her previous life.

"I can't wait to see you play again, too."

The blue haired basketball player grinned at her lopsided, throwing his empty can into a trash bin.

"I'm going to win next time."

Mia nodded, this time there was no doubt or concern in her mind as she heard him state that. Ever so confident like he always was.

"I'm cheering you on."


	53. Day One Hundred Seventy Two

Another day, another chapter.

Big thanks to...

_**EDIT - removed Review corner after the end of the story for better look - EDIT**_

And here I am, late again because reality is such a busy-body. Haha. Sorry for that guys, but oh well. I had to get a little canon event into this chapter because I do follow the plot line and it would be just wrong to leave it out. Although I do hope to have a little more freedom afterwards - at least to some extent because I took my power as fanfic author and squished a few more days into the Winter Cup matches when there actually were, cough .

Anyway, thank you for all your patience and lovely encouragements! The follows, favorites and reviews are really, really appreciated!

* * *

><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY TWO<strong>_

"You're still not tired after practice?"

"Not really."

Mia dribbled the ball slowly, watching her tall classmate as he stood in front of her. For the girl it was certainly a bit too cold, the winter had fully greeted them. The air crisp, the sky above them grey. But it was easy to understand how hard it must be for the basketball player to watch his old friends participate in the tournament; playing against another while he was forced to settle with practice only.

The orange-head caught the ball with both hands, remembering how Kuroko had thrown it. Seirin had won and was now facing Kaijō High. Kise was truly just as talented as the others, running and dodging his opponents so smoothly just like Aomine had done. All his friends seemed to be basketball junkies - one more talented than the other.

And that only made her remember faintly how the audience had called him one of the 'generation of miracles'. Ridiculous...or was it?

Mia bit her bottom lip as she tried to copy what Kuroko had done with his hands, pushing the ball with her palm and not her fingertips. But the shorter boy had made it look so easy, the strength which was needed was much more than she expected and the orange orb made a rather louse jump into the air.

The tall teenager in front of her caught it easily with one hand, blinking at her move.

"That's something only Tetsu can really pull off, his balance and aim doesn't lie in his fingertips."

"Oh man, it looked pretty fun." Mia grumbled half-hearted.

The park was empty in the afternoon. Not many people chose to visit it in the chilly air; cafés and restaurants were a lot more popular around this time of the year - although it only made it better to play basketball a bit in peace. At least until one of them chickened out because of the cold. Mia already knew it would be her, but it had been quite some time since they had hung out like this.

The Winter Cup was important. Even more as it now slowly moved towards the end. Today would be decided which high schools were the finalist. Only two would make it and then they'd fight against another for the title.

The girl took a deep breath as she watched Aomine spin the ball on his index finger. His sharp eyes were glued to the orange orb before he suddenly turned around to the hoop, giving the spinning basketball only a little nudge it seemed which was enough to let it bounce against the wooden board, the round object falling smoothly into the hoop.

"You're unbelievable."

Her tall classmate grinned at her, picking up the ball which had slowly rolled back to his feet.

"Wanna play one-on-one?"

"As if." Mia replied immediately, her lips forming a smile against her own will while she rubbed her arms. "I could use a warm drink, though."

"Cold already?"

The orange-head nodded, musing quietly how he always seemed unfazed by the temperature difference. Maybe it was a guy thing, just like how woman always had cold feet. At least according to her mother who often annoyed her father by pressing her cold feet against his back in winter to get him out of bed in the morning sometimes.

Aomine picked up a satchel which lay beneath the hoop, stuffing the ball into it before he approached her form. She actually felt a bit bad to pull him away from the court only because she couldn't withstand the weather like he could but the tall teenager didn't seem to be annoyed as he shouldered the satchel, his gaze lingering on her rosy face and fingertips she had tried to hid in her sleeves.

"The gloves?" He mumbled gruffly which made Mia shrug with her shoulders.

"They sucked."

"Figured."

The orange-head wanted to glare at him and his knowing tune. As if he was the lord of who knew what who had the great knowledge about the function of the gloves all over the world. But all he did in return was stare back, the corners of his lips twitching into that sly grin which had been her death in the beginning. Always so confident. Always so arrogant, no matter the reason which caused it...in times like these it was really frustrating because she couldn't really hate it anymore.

"Give me." He drawled quietly, offering his hands just like he had done before already.

And the girl found herself easily giving in; releasing a soft sigh in relief as his ever so warm hands easily melted the cold. The skin was rough and calloused from all his playing but nevertheless it felt just right to have him this close.

"You're like a heater." Mia mumbled quietly into her muffler.

Aomine brushed with his thumb over the back of her hand, a breathless laugh rumbling in his chest. It felt all so familiar, the light buzzing in her chest which always came with the close proximity. The nervousness was not as bad as it had been in the beginning, the pulsating emotion was calming down to a delightful fluttering in her stomach area though.

And that was a lot better than the panicked small heart attacks she had felt because of every single thing in the past.

"A heater?" He repeated, furrowing his brow.

"Yeah." She nodded. "A pretty good one, actually."

The blue haired teen didn't reply right away, his navy eyes ghosting over her face and their joined hands. The idea of moving and finally going somewhere to warm up did cross his mind but the thought vanished with the light shifting of her feet, her red ears indicating how much the weather was really bothering her.

His body swayed lightly forward, his long arms itching to move. But the second his hands let go of hers, sliding slightly up her wrists and forearms they both jumped at the sound of his mobile phone going off. Aomine's face darkened as he sighed, his annoyance clearly written across his face as he rummaged through his parka to see who was calling him.

"Satsuki."

Aomine made it possible to make her name sound like an insult.

Mia blinked up at him owlishly, flustered by the sudden noise which had broken the calm atmosphere so fast. She couldn't hear what the girl was exactly telling him but by the way his face grimaced, it couldn't be something great. Or at least it appeared to be troublesome...which could include nearly everything.

"_Hah?_" The basketball player frowned, staring off into the distance as the voice of the bubbly girl resounded quietly from the speaker of the device.

The orange-head merely watched him until her eyes flew towards his other hand which still rested upon her arm. His grip was light, the warmth creeping through her jacket until his hand slowly traveled back down towards her wrist with every second his attention drifted away. More and more focused on the conversation he had with his childhood friend.

"Why should I?" Aomine drawled.

Mia lightly wriggled her wrist out his grip until she was able to hold onto his hand once more, abusing the warmth he offered childishly. This action drew his gaze back to her, first to her face until it darted down to their hands.

"I ain't helping that guy."

After the tall teen stated that the voice of Satsuki grew louder, definitely upset with his cold attitude. Aomine squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, clearly annoyed by the stubbornness of the basketball club manager as the orange haired girl finally spoke up.

"What's going on?"

Her classmate cracked his eyes open, locking their gazes as he sighed.

"Tetsu asked for help because that idiot Kagami wrecked his shoes."

Mia blinked at him at first a bit puzzled before she furrowed her brow. A clear sign that she didn't exactly understand where the problem lied, it couldn't be that hard to just buy a new pair.

"He can't find his size."

Oh.

"But don't they have a match today?" The girl asked, suddenly concerned.

_"Mi-chan?"_

It was faint, but it was possible to hear the bubbly girl on the other line. Her voice was rising in volume as she realized on the other side of the line that the basketball player wasn't alone. Aomine's frown deepened as Satsuki's voice became louder. He held the small device away from his ear, glaring at it with gritted teeth.

"Jeez, fine. _Fine_. Just shut up, Satsuki."

The little patience he had left finally snapped in half as Aomine grumbled into the phone that he gave up. He had to know best when a battle against Satsuki was impossible to win and it apparently always was when the shorter boy was involved. Next to the knowledge that Mia was close by, the orange-head couldn't help but giggle at that. That action though, earned her a half-hearted glare from the blue haired basketball player.

"It can't be helped." He grumbled, shutting the phone before stuffing it back into his pocket. "...you're in?"

"Sure."

* * *

><p>"Tetsu-kun!"<p>

Mia could only watch how the pink haired girl suddenly left her side, rushing towards the pale boy who waited not far away from them with Kagami. They had met Satsuki on their way here, picking her up from the train station where she had waited. It was only a little bit disappointing that their plans had changed, the girl mused.

It suddenly felt like that somewhere, somebody was always around. She had never realized that now, in the past her greatest fear was to be alone with her lazy classmate. Although now it was other way around, funny enough...Mia liked it when they were alone, just hanging around. Talking, playing a game or...

Sheesh, she could already feel her cheeks warm up.

Helplessly Mia pushed her scarf further into her face, joining the little group meeting in hope no one would notice her awkward and embarrassing thoughts. It was nice to see the two Seirin students again so soon anyway. They both greeted her so warmly as if they had known each other longer than they did. Only one of them received a rather cold welcome.

"Why are you here too, Aomine?" Kagami asked, obviously unsettled by the presence of the blue haired teen.

"That's my line, you bastard. Why should I know?"

Satsuki easily turned around to them, a big smile gracing her lips. "Dai-chan got a ton of basketball shoes so he said he'll give you one!"

"_Hah_?" Aomine's sharp face turned darker as he glowered at her. "The hell. I've never said that!"

"I've actually brought a pair, too."

"Wait, what?"

Mia watched the bubbly girl, shuffling through her bag until she pulled out a box. From what she had heard from the call, it definitely had sounded different. More like a shopping advice or help which was needed, instead of just a present which apparently had been abducted from Aomine's without his knowledge. It was amazing how demanding and confident Satsuki could act. Although she was right, the tall teen had bought a new pair last time - he had no use for the other. Right?

As the orange haired girl laughed quietly, a bit amused by the situation she found her classmate glancing at her. His expression fighting between anger and sheer annoyance - but as he saw her genuine smile he looked away. The grimace softening to some extent, shrinking to nothing but a half-hearted frown.

"Tch. Fine. I'll give it to you if you beat me one-on-one."

"How did it turn out like this!?" Kagami replied startled. "I have to be in a match pretty soon, ya know?"

Aomine shrugged with his shoulders. "Just a three basket match. It won't take long."

The blue haired basketball player took off his parka, handing it to Mia who willingly held onto it. The clothing article was still warm, easily resembling a nice blanket which warmed her hands and engulfed her senses with his scent. Aomine set the satchel down beside her, getting the ball out of the bag.

"Just a minute." He muttered beneath his breath before his navy colored eyes rose to meet hers.

The orange-head blinked a bit surprised. Her lips parting in a breathless question - but instead of voicing the '_what_' which rolled upon her tongue she started smiling. Mia nodded, cradling his parka closer to her chest to keep the rest of his warmth close.

"Okay."

Aomine's narrow gaze softened slightly. It took him a second before he returned the nod, turning back towards the red haired teenager who was getting a bit agitated over the decision which had been made for him. Without taking his own opinion into account at all.

"_Wait_, I told you-"

"Shut it and just do it, idiot."

Maybe she could finally get herself something warm to drink, Mia thought quietly. Hot chocolate sounded just right...

* * *

><p>The girl didn't know what Kuroko and Satsuki had been talking about as she was gone to the vending machine around the corner. But as she returned, handing them two cans of tea as well, she couldn't shake off the feeling that it had been something serious to some extent. The bubbly girl had looked rather sober and not as cheerful as she always did.<p>

It reminded her a bit of the days where Satsuki had approached her to ask her for help concerning Aomine. Where she had actually hoped that she'd be able to pursue the teen to go back to practice...funny how now he finally found the motivation to go himself. Some things really did work out it on their own, well, kinda at least.

Mia drunk her warm cocoa, enjoying the feeling of warmth it spread in her guts after she had returned from her little adventure. The vending machine had been truly far away, she mused. In the cold winter air it had felt like a mile, every stop accompanied by the feeling of the cold wind crawling up her sleeves. She suddenly shivered as she looked up to see how the basketball players were doing on the court, her body reminding her of the biting cold.

Although Kagami and Aomine were already returning from their match it seemed.

"I'm done, so let's go, Mia."

"Eh? Already?"

The lazy teenager shrugged with his shoulders, taking his parka back. "I told ya, it won't take long."

"How was it?" Kuroko wondered quietly beside them.

Aomine barely spared him any glance as he put on his jacket, his expression once more showing the well-known boredom he always seemed to feel. He took his time to adjust the collar, one hand already guiding Mia away from the court as he pushed her small back into a direction. The girl was certain he was trying to get rid of basketball club manager before she could decide to tag along as well - mean, really. But Mia didn't mind it in the slightest this time. At least not today.

"I destroyed him." He deadpanned.

"Hey, _hey_ wait a second!" Kagami called out. "One more! Give me one more try!"

"Just take the damn shoes, _dumbass_." Aomine barked over his shoulders. "You're playing against Kise, right? I'm gonna murder you if you put on a sloppy match."

"Fine...but, but this match here. It's just on _hold_! Okay?"

The orange-head could hear her lazy classmate groan, his hand only urging her to move faster so that they could escape this whole situation sooner.

"Just go damn it! Your match is starting soon, you moron!"

If Kagami had said something else, she didn't hear it anymore. They were already back on the sidewalk, leaving the scene behind them. Mia tried to look past the broad shoulder of the basketball player but it was a hard task while he still steered her away. Further and further down the road.

"You had fun." The orange-head stated.

"He still sucks."

The girl laughed brightly, easily ignoring his sour tune. He didn't deny it, muttering beneath his breath a few empty insults and curses instead. But that was already something she had come to known, the typical side of him which avoided showing anything else but his rough edges.

After they had reached the end of the block he finally let go of her back, his arm falling back to his side. The hand open, directed towards her.

Mia glanced at his offering; her fingers shifting to put her still warm can into her other one. Allowing her to intertwine their fingers as if it was already something normal, something they had always done. And it was warm. So nice and fitting and warm, her hot chocolate was nothing in comparison to the feeling which spread in her chest.

"I'm tired." Aomine breathed. His body leaning against her as they came to a halt at pedestrian lights.

She could feel the blood crawling into her face, her gaze glued to the passing cars in front of them. He was always so careless; she wondered if he knew what he was doing. If he knew how unfair she thought he was when he always balanced on the line of her comfort and pulsating nervousness.

It was public. There were people around them, but her voice didn't get past the lump in her throat.

"Mia."

She could only hum in answer, her eyes dropping as she felt him shift beside her. But he hesitated. His mind stopping him from voicing something he apparently wanted to say first. Instead he sighed gruffly. Defeated by something she didn't know.

"...let's get some food."


	54. Day One Hundred Seventy Three

A day too late...yay, another chapter?

Sorry about the lack of update yesterday, friends called and I met them on a whim. Although I returned home a lot later than I anticipated, I was too tired then to write and update then. My bad, haha.

Forgive me, please! This chapter here is a bit longer but it's more or less only about a single moment and aah, I don't know. I hope you'll like it? The real thing is always so hard to get down. I don't want to disappoint anyone, is it too OOC? Too I don't know? I'm all open ears!

_**-Edit- 31th March 2014 -**_

_This is the final chapter of 'Egoistical'. I actually thought about adding one more, leading towards the Rakuzan Match. However, it would take away the feeling of **'this is it'**. I can't continue further without knowing the results of this important match because I'm uncertain how the canon plot is moving forward. [in Egoistical it's Friday, Sunday is the match = no freedom]_

_Without canon it would all continue too messy in my opinion. And you know me. I'm a fanatic and if I can't stay in canon, I don't wanna risk fucking things up._

_I'M SORRY IF YOU WANTED MORE! I, I don't know - maybe I'll consider a spin-off? Aomine's and Mia's relationship from second year onward, third year, college. Anything which gives me enough freedom to not fuck with canon. Because canon is a little shitty bastard we all love and don't want to mess with. That guy got the moves, man._

_**All of your reviews were amazing.** I woke up today and checked my emails and there were so many messages, favorites, follows, reviews and you don't know how amazing it was to read every single one. I, I don't know - should I write you guys PMs? Just to tell you how much I creepily love you? Because I do!_

_THANK YOU FOR READING EGOISTICAL!_

* * *

><p><em><strong>DAY ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY THREE<strong>_

Mia leaned onto her left feet. Weighing her balance to move her stiff muscles a bit, knowing that if she could, she'd wrap her scarf all around her head. Disappearing completely from the world and cold wind which had picked up since yesterday, she believed.

The clouds above her head had become darker, the sun rarely glimpsing through the mess. The orange-head stuffed her hands further into the pockets of her jacket to keep them away from the frosty weather. It was already dark even though it was still afternoon, the days getting shorter and shorter with each passing season.

And all she could do right now was wait for the blue haired teen.

Both of them had decided in class today that they should finally beat the video game. They were getting close to the final, the story's last riddle finally unfolding and now where the last Winter Cup match between Seirin and Rakuzan was scheduled to be on Sunday they had a bit time. It was obvious that Aomine and Satsuki both wanted to see how Kuroko was doing.

Because even on that other elite high school was one of their old friends, if she had heard them correctly...that is. Mia breathed deeply, watching the white cloud which appeared in front of her face with a thoughtful expression. It seemed like all his middle school friends had scattered, every single one attending a different school than he did. It was a puzzling thing for her. Why would friends want to split up in the first place?

But in the end it was their decision, she guessed.

"Mia."

At the familiar sound of his voice she looked up. She smiled into her muffler as she saw his broad and tall stature which easily stuck out. Always too tall next to other people, it was hard to miss him at all. The orange haired girl approached him, lifting her chin to free her lips from the soft fabric to return the greeting.

"Hey."

Aomine had stuffed his own hands lazily into the pockets of his parka, lifting a single eyebrow as a thought made its way into his mind.

"Wanna get some snacks first? We don't have any at home right now."

"Sure. Is a store nearby?"

Her classmate nodded, pointing into a direction. "Yeah."

The girl let him lead the way willingly, falling into step with him as they left the train station behind them. It would be an understatement if she wasn't feeling nervous at all. Seeing him alone was always something else, different when no one was nearby. But at the same time the nervousness was a good feeling, a little giddiness in her chest which spread in her stomach area.

If all those mangas had right with anything, next to the dramatic plots and twists and roses and so-called sparkles. Then maybe it was the emotion they tried to convey.

Well...or maybe not. The extremes of those things shouldn't be taken too seriously.

"Are we going to watch the final of the Winter Cup?"

At her question Aomine glanced at her, his brow furrowed ever so slightly. "Ya want to?"

Eagerly Mia nodded, blinking up at the teenager with ease. "Kuroko-san and his friends have come so far...and you said that Rakuzan High won the InterHigh, right? They surely must be strong."

The blue haired teen frowned, the look in his eyes obviously drifting away as he seemed to recall something from the past. It was one of those moments where she knew it had something to do with his middle school years. Teikō Junior High. And the basketball team he had been part of there. He did tell her some of it, rough and only small pieces of a big picture. But even that was enough to see how tangled up all their relations were.

"The team already asked me today, too." He suddenly grumbled instead. "Said that they all want to go and see it."

"Satsuki-san, too?"

Aomine nodded, his gaze slowly travelling away from her as he saw the convenience store in the distance.

"Guess we all go together then."

Mia liked the sound of that. To see Sakurai and the bubbly club manager on a Sunday was always nice. Her shy classmate had become a bit more confident around her, he apologized less and even mustered a smile whenever she greeted him in the morning. Maybe the orange-head should ask Nanami to come, too? Her best friend wasn't particularly a big fan of the sport but a final match was always something else.

"Let's get chocolate." The girl said as they stepped into the store.

Aomine snorted, a lopsided grin crawling onto his lips. It was obvious to see what for a favorite dessert the girl possessed. It was simple, really. But which person could ever say 'no' to the wonderful treat? No human in her opinion, at least.

"Whatever."

* * *

><p>"So...is it good?"<p>

Her dark eyes travelled towards the navy colored orbs of her classmate. The sky had gotten even darker after they had left the store. Winter's time was moving fast, the street lanterns already alight. It was strange how wordlessly Aomine had taken the plastic bag, carrying it all by himself. A small gesture which reminded of the very early summer where they had run through the rain to take shelter in a small convenience store...he had carried her bag then as well.

"Dunno. Just saw a trailer." He replied.

The topic of their conversation had landed on a video game. Something which had always offered enough to talk about next to basketball, luckily, because Mia didn't share the same knowledge about the sport like he did. There too many names, professional teams and other things. The girl had seen the magazines in his room, next to the idiotic idol ones he really left around in the open.

His none existing shame concerning those things was truly unbelievable.

However, he had many about basketball as well. America. Japan. They covered many things, new brands, shoes. Tactics. Great tournaments across the world. She barely could do anything but listen to him talk about that, it was interesting. Really. Although it mostly came down to the way he talked about it himself. It was easy to see that it interested him for real.

Video games.

Those were their basis, the topic they could share with the same amount of passion. Thank god for that.

"We should check it out." Mia offered as she lifted her finger. "If it's good then we got a new game to beat."

Aomine grinned lightly, his expression indicating that he had the same idea before his gaze lowered to her hand. "Gave up on the gloves?"

The orange-head blinked at him, a sheepish smile tugging at her lips as she flexed her right hand. "Yeah. They didn't help in the slightest."

He laughed quietly, the sound barely reaching her ears as it rumbled in his chest. With a light shifting he pulled his hand out of his jacket's pocket. Grabbing hers until their fingers intertwined naturally on their own. It was a wave of warmth which spread throughout her cool fingers, up her arms where goosebumps appeared.

"What did ya say, heater, right?"

"The best one." Mia admitted with a grin into her muffler.

Aomine didn't comment it afterwards. His gaze staring ahead, following the empty street they were on towards his house. They maybe had wanted to play the game but she didn't really mind the little detour. His neighborhood was quiet around this time, the cold kept the citizens in their houses. Giving the air around them the calm and silence they rarely had and Mia took a deep breath, enjoying the dry and cool feeling in her lungs while her heart fluttered with the warmth in her guts.

His house could stay a bit away, she thought quietly.

The path could get a little longer.

And as suddenly something cold and wet landed on her cheeks she came to a sudden halt. Her hand tugged him back and he turned around to her quietly, furrowing his brow. But her eyes were glued to the sky where slowly but surely flakes fell down. They were still too heavy to be real snowflakes, the second they met her warm skin, they melted.

But it was closest thing to snow they had. December had just started and it was rare to have already a glimpse at the fluffy white blanket which maybe, only maybe would arrive early enough to give them a white Christmas.

"Snow." Mia mumbled. "It's snowing."

Aomine looked up towards the clouded sky. His sharp eyes narrowing as one of the half-hearted flakes landed on his nose.

"For real..."

"Isn't it like a movie scene?" The girl laughed softly. "The first snow of the year."

And that before Christmas! She still could hardly believe that.

It was so quiet around them that it could've been possible to hear the snow falling. The tiny little flakes were reflecting the street lantern light in the distance. Their number increasing as the dry wind allowed them to calmly fall from the sky for a second. Mia couldn't stop staring, a bit afraid that maybe she was just imagining it.

But as felt Aomine's thumb brush over her hand, the gesture too small to be really called real - she glanced at him. Craning her head ever slightly to look at his face, which was overthrown by the shadows of the late afternoon.

Mia didn't know if her face was already glowing, she lost count of the times she started to blush if he was close by. Her skin already buzzing with the warmth of her nerves because they were together, just walking, just talking - but even though she surely wanted more and never dared to ask for that. This here was enough, she mused.

Her feet were glued to the ground as the tall teen shifted. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers, his skin burning like always. Warming her temples as she shivered at the sudden contact, not prepared for the obvious temperature difference they had.

"You're blushing."

She wanted to purse her lips, maybe tell him that he had already pointed it out so often. It would sound weak if she'd try to use the cold as an excuse. It wasn't true. And maybe by now, both of them would know that. Right?

Mia wanted to say something else, her lips parting, but nothing came out. She didn't know what to reply. Was she even supposed to answer to that?

Her heart had become louder, the drumming noise clear in her own ears. He was too close. The proximity around them was closing in still. Her nerves picked up on her inner turmoil, the mood suddenly wavering between nervousness and something foreign which was hard to point out. It was all a strange mix. Warm and cold. Loud and quiet.

But it all came down to the well expected loud noise, something in the distance rang loudly. A car alarm which soon after died and Mia found herself jumping, startled. Her head bumped against his with force which made the teen in front of her curse beneath his breath.

The weird moment was always broken. Mia's knees buckled beneath her, giving away as she crouched down helplessly to brace herself from falling. Her own stupidity and embarrassment was suffocating her. Just like those situations before she found herself shivering, her skin buzzing in something like relieved disappointment and it all got only worse as Aomine joined her. His tall form crouching down beside her, his long legs touching hers...

The contact warm and familiar just like his hand which still held onto hers.

Mia glimpsed at him carefully, his face was graced with a scowl. That had been it, right? It wasn't just her. It was both of them. Their moment to kiss and it all got so easily ruined by something else. The orange-head could feel her face burning, her blush spreading onto her neck and ears as she started to laugh breathlessly to herself.

"Shut up." Aomine barked quietly.

His tune sounded so angry and annoyed - and sulky, like a child. But for the first time she found comfort and not amusement in that because it made it so clear that she wasn't the only one at loss, awkward and over thinking. Mia was this time the first one who pressed her forehead against his, seeking the warmth she had felt before. Her guts squirming and the embarrassment still deep in her bones.

But now it felt like they were closed off. Small and hidden from the big world around them, the light stinging from the unexpected bump long forgotten as she looked him into the eyes. The deep color and wonderful drawings were captivating. A detail no one would ever notice if they wouldn't be this close.

And his scowl finally eased away. The lines on his face softening as he seemingly realized where her quiet laughter had come from. If anything, Mia thought, all those mangas were lies. There were no sparkles. No firework. No fainting or something silly as that.

There was this moment, where your heart stopped for a second. The _millisecond_ of silence before it skipped a beat and returned to its erratic pacing. A jump your nerves accompanied. Tickling, squeezing trailing down to your toes which curled because your brain registered it was happening for real.

But there was no mind-blowing explosion.

It was clumsy, really. None of them knew the real deal. The lips met, awkwardly. But that was fine because both of them felt the same brainless confusion and lacked the knowledge how else it was supposed to be like. The texture of his lips differed from her own, nor soft or rough. Just different.

And the warmth they spread left her lips yearning for more.

But no explosion. No firework behind her closed eyes.

Only darkness.

It were her other senses which reacted. Her ears because she could hear his breath before their lips had met, her own heart which was still drumming and knocking. The crispy wind around them and the melting snowflakes which landed on her burning ears. And his scent in her nose - and all around her. Clean, faintly smelling of a shower he must have taken after practice and the little spicy note which was him and him alone.

Mia didn't want to open her eyes right away after his lips left hers. Too afraid to see what it could be she saw then. Her face was probably a mess of red. Glowing in the darkness of the winter against all odds. But her own curiosity won and her eyelids fluttered open, her gaze immediately clinging to the face of Aomine which was still mere centimeters away from hers.

It was all embarrassing.

That was something the mangas hid. The uncertainty, the awkward imperfection of the whole moment...

But it all didn't matter as she was able to see the basketball player's face up close. Because she wasn't the only one who struggled with her own heart attack. Aomine didn't look at her, his eyes staring towards his right. Watching nothing in particular. Although that didn't matter because he was still with her. His grip on her hand only tightening.

"Nah, Mia..."

"Mh...?"

"I like you so...say you like me, too."

His voice was so quiet, the sound deep and husky. When she was so close, she couldn't help but remember how he sounded like over the phone. Masculine. Older. Mature. Not at all like a seventeen year old teenager. Still on the bridge between child and adult. But what she noticed for the first time was the light color in his face. His skin was always darker than hers, bronzed and tanned as if he was summer person all year round. But.

Aomine Daiki was blushing.

Just a bit, really. It could have been her imagination. He'd probably kill her if she ever pointed that out to him ever. But those words were something which had never been mentioned between them before. Holding hands, reaching for another. Embracing, supporting.

Everything balanced on a glass floor which had now been definitely shattered by mere words.

"Stupid." The orange-head croaked in a weak mumble.

"_Hah?_"

Aomine's eyes finally looked at her once more. Glaring at her half-hearted because he didn't know how else to act. "What for an answer is that?"

It only made Mia giggle again, though. Her breath creating small puffs of white air in between them as her eyes twinkled ever so softly with the giddy warmth in her chest. It sounded so like him. Stating. Never asking. Pointing out what had been not clearly labeled yet. It was something which differed a lot from her, the way of handling things. Thinking, acting.

"I like you." She breathed.

Aomine stared at her. His face stoic and calm as he blinked, taking in her whispered words. They were still on the pavement, crouched, absorbed in their own moment. Their hair had already hundreds of little small flakes clinging to it. The coldness keeping them from melting right away.

But Mia felt suddenly warm.

The blue haired teen locked their gazes, his lips finally breaking into something she could actually call a smile. Not a grin. Not a smirk. Not whatever else he had always done up until now. It was a smile which was aimed at her and no one else and that alone made it already special enough.

The girl lifted her free hand, her cold fingertips pressing against his cheek. The sudden touch made him jump, his gaze widening as it darted to her obviously freezing hand. Aomine covered her hand with his, easily smothering the lightly rosy skin with his warmth as he looked back at her again.

Mia liked winter the best, she decided right then.

And their lips met once more. Still foreign and rather helpless.

But in the end it felt just right.

* * *

><p><strong>ONCE MORE <em>THANK YOU FOR READING EGOISTICAL!<em>**

**_EDIT - The poll has been closed - EDIT_**


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